Link Centre Dictionary

moniker

mo·ni·ker

UK/ˈmɒn.ɪ.kə/ US/ˈmɑn.ɪ.kɚ/ rare

noun

1.

a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person''s given name)

  • “Joe”
  • “;”
  • “s nickname was Slim”
Synonyms

Origin

Unknown; first attested in 1849. Suggested derivations are: * Backslang for ekename (compare nickname); * From Shelta munik, munika; * From monk; * Partridge (A Dictionary of Historical Slang) suggests a corruption of monogram, which is suggestive of the sense signature. * From monarch in the sense 'king or No. 1, and thus with frank egotism, "I, myself".' (The Gentleman's Magazine, Vol. 281, pg. 349.) Online Etymological Dictionary's entry cites the Saturday Review (London newspaper) of 1857, which noted, "the word has a certain Coptic or Egyptian twang".

Phrases

  • nom de guerre
  • nom de plume
  • nom de Web

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.