nickname
part of speech
noun (a nickname, nicknames); verb (nickname, nicknames, nicknamed, nicknaming)
meaning for a pupil
1) A short or friendly name used instead of someone's real name, such as "Liz" for Elizabeth. tree →
2) A name given because of something about a person, place or thing: "the Big Apple" for New York. tree →
3) As a verb, to give a nickname. tree →
sense in the lessons
In everyday life, friends and families use nicknames. In feelings and bullying lessons, a nickname that someone does not like and that is used to hurt them is a form of teasing; always use names people are happy with. In geography, places have nicknames too. Phrases: give a nickname, called by a nickname, nicknamed after.
examples
- My nickname is Bea. tree →
- Grandpa calls me by a funny nickname. tree →
- New York's nickname is the Big Apple. tree →
- They nicknamed him "Speedy" because he runs fast. tree →
- Don't use a nickname that hurts someone's feelings. tree →
- Ask your new friend which name they like. tree →
- His face was jolly and round, and because he had red hair he was nicknamed Rufus, or the Red. tree →
note
Countable; one word. Regular verb: nicknamed. Kindness rule: a nickname is only OK if the person likes it. Online, a nickname or username should not show your real full name.
In the corpora
- Online you use a nickname and never share your full name, address, school or photo.
- Friendly teasing, like a nickname you both enjoy, can be a sign of closeness.
- Friendly nicknames are fine when both people enjoy them.
- A nickname spreads fast when other people repeat it, even if it started as a joke.
- A nickname like «Mad Maddie» can be meant as a joke but still sting.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «nickname» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.