moniker
pronunciation
How to pronounce moniker in British English:
UK [ˈmɒnɪkə(r)]
How to pronounce moniker in American English:
US [ˈmɑnɪkə(r)]
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- Noun:
- a familiar name for a person (often a shortened version of a person's given name)
Word Origin
- moniker (n.)
- 1849, said to be originally a hobo term (but attested in London underclass from 1851), of uncertain origin; perhaps from monk (monks and nuns take new names with their vows, and early 19c. British tramps referred to themselves as "in the monkery"). Its origins seem always to have been obscure: Sir H. Rawlinson can decipher cuneiform, but can he tell us why "moniker"--the word has a certain Coptic or Egyptian twang--means a name painted on a trunk? ["The Saturday Review," Dec. 19, 1857]
Example
- 1. Typically gonzaga gives the subjects initials to choose from and the couple uses them to come up with a moniker .
- 2. You may have an affectionate moniker for your cock , but that doesn 't mean you should share it with others .
- 3. Of course , the duck 's thick body and winged appendages also lend it a more dramatic popular moniker -- thor 's helmet .
- 4. Copper is reckoned to go one better : it earned its moniker of " dr copper " for its supposed ability as an economic forecaster .
- 5. This double-edged moniker , used by friends and foes alike , hints not only at mr ban 's fastidiousness , attention to detail and highly regarded administrative skills but also at a lack of charisma and a supposed willingness to bend to the will of his superiors .