Definitions

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To give a nickname to.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun archaic, historical A secondary name for a person or thing; a person's surname.
  • noun archaic, historical A nickname.
  • noun Scotland A pseudonym; nom-de-plume.
  • noun paganism A ritual title for a god or goddess used in Heathenry.
  • verb transitive, archaic To assign a byname to.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

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

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Middle English, equivalent to by- +‎ name. Cognate with Dutch bijnaam ("nickname"), German Beiname ("nickname, epithet").

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