Word of the Day

: April 13, 2009

sobriquet

noun SOH-brih-kay

What It Means

: a descriptive name or epithet : nickname

sobriquet in Context

Baseball players have long been known by colorful sobriquets such as "The Georgia Peach" (Ty Cobb) and "The Splendid Splinter" (Ted Williams).

Did You Know?

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 mid-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.