moniker

WOTD - 22 February 2009    

English

Alternative forms

• monacer, monicker, monniker

Etymology

First attested 1849, of Unknown origin. Amongst suggestion are back-slang for eke-name, the Shelta word munik, or monk. Partridge (A Dictionary of Historical Slang) suggests it is a corruption of Monogram which fits well with the use in the sense of signature.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA: /ˈmɒn.ɪ.kə/, SAMPA: /"mQn.I.k@/
• (US) IPA: /ˈmɑn.ɪ.kɚ/, SAMPA: /"mAn.I.k@`/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Homophone: Monica (in non-rhotic accents)

Noun

moniker (plural monikers)

1. A personal name or nickname.

   The rookie policewoman was upset being called Lemon Drop until she realized that everyone on the police force has a moniker.

   • 2008, Salon.com, Court: OK to call Polish leaders ‘ducks’

     An unidentified citizen filed the complaint along with the president’s office, saying that the moniker was slanderous.

2. A signature

Quotations

• My moniker is man and I'm rotten to the core - "Do What You Want" by Bad Religion

Synonyms

• (personal name or nickname): byname, nickname, sobriquet

Translations

personal name or nickname

Czech: přezdívka (cs) f. Dutch: bijnaam (nl) m. Finnish: lempinimi (fi); lisänimi (fi), liikanimi (fi) French: sobriquet (fr) m. Icelandic: nafn (is) n., heiti (is) n., viðurnefni (is) n.

Scottish Gaelic: frith-ainm (gd) m. Serbo-Croatian: nadimak (sh), prišvarak (sh), pridjevak (sh) Spanish: mote (es) m., apodo (es) m.

See also

• cognomen