nickname

• POS: Noun, Verb (transitive)
• HYPHEN: nick=name

CIDE DICTIONARY

nickname, n. [OE. ekename surname, hence, a nickname, an ekename being understood as a nekename, influenced also by E. nick, v. See Eke, and Name.].

 A name given in affectionate familiarity, sportive familiarity, contempt, or derision; a familiar or an opprobrious appellation; as, Nicholas's nickname is Nick.  [1913 Webster]

nickname, v. t. 

 To give a nickname to; to call by a nickname.  [1913 Webster]
"You nickname virtue; vice you should have spoke."  [1913 Webster]
"I altogether disclaim what has been nicknamed the doctrine of finality."  [1913 Webster]

OXFORD DICTIONARY

nickname, n. & v.
--n. a familiar or humorous name given to a person or thing instead of or as well as the real name.
--v.tr.
1 give a nickname to.
2 call (a person or thing) by a nickname.

Etymology

ME f. eke-name, with n from an (cf. NEWT): eke = addition, f. OE eaca (as EKE)

THESAURUS

nickname

affectionate name, agnomen, appellation, appellative, baptize, byname, byword, call, christen, cognomen, define, denominate, denomination, designate, diminutive, dub, entitle, epithet, first name, handle, hypocoristic, identify, label, moniker, name, nominate, pet name, sobriquet, specify, style, tag, term, title

ROGET THESAURUS

nickname

Misnomer

N misnomer, lucus a non lucendo, Mrs, Malaprop, what d'ye call 'em, Hoosier, nickname, sobriquet, by-name, assumed name, assumed title, alias, nom de course, nom de theatre, nom de guerre, nom de plume, pseudonym, pseudonymy, misnamed, pseudonymous, soi-disant, self called, self styled, self christened, so-called, nameless, anonymous, without a having no name, innominate, unnamed, unacknowledged, in no sense.

VB misname, miscall, misterm, nickname, assume a name.