sobriquet
noun
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This synonym of nickname has the same meaning in modern French as it does in English. In Middle French, however, its earlier incarnation soubriquet referred to both a nickname and a tap under the chin. Centuries later, the connection between these two meanings isn't clear, but what is clear is that the "nickname" meaning of sobriquet was well established in French by the time English speakers borrowed the term in the 17th century—and was the only meaning that was adopted. In current English, the spelling sobriquet is most common, but soubriquet is also an accepted variant.
Synonyms
Examples of sobriquet in a Sentence
Robin Olson, airmail.news, 4 Jan. 2025
That reputation earned Bayer Leverkusen the unflattering sobriquet Bayer Neverkusen—which explains itself.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2024
The family’s sing-songy pronunciation makes the sobriquet sound almost Italian to my ears, somewhere in the range of Papa-tierri, a mondegreen that elicits no shortage of laughter among celebrants.
—Nico Lang, Rolling Stone, 14 Oct. 2024
They weren’t referred to by this sobriquet in our family.
—Sage Mehta, The New Yorker, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for sobriquet 
Dictionary Entries Near sobriquet
Cite this Entry
“Sobriquet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sobriquet. Accessed 10 Feb. 2025.
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