1
as in nickname
a descriptive or familiar name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to an individual
richly deserved the cognomen of "Butterfingers"
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2
as in moniker
a word or combination of words by which a person or thing is regularly known
"Christopher Columbus" is the Latinized cognomen of the navigator who was known to his Spanish crewmates as Cristóbal Colón
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Recent Examples of cognomen
Part of the Tuscia — cognomen of lush forested Viterbo, crossed by the ancient Roman Francigena road and land of the Etruscans before that — Gradoli is also volcanic.
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Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
The cognomen, or surname, of the Oba is Ekpen-owa, or home leopard.
—NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021
Moore submitted dozens of wonderful, wondrous cognomens, including Mongoose Civique, Regina-rex, Aeroterre, Dearborn Diamanté and the deathless Utopian Turtletop.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2020
Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Sep. 2017
Susan H. Gordon, Forbes, 3 Sep. 2021
The cognomen, or surname, of the Oba is Ekpen-owa, or home leopard.
—NOLA.com, 1 Feb. 2021
Moore submitted dozens of wonderful, wondrous cognomens, including Mongoose Civique, Regina-rex, Aeroterre, Dearborn Diamanté and the deathless Utopian Turtletop.
—Dan Neil, WSJ, 20 Mar. 2020
Denmark, Iceland, Hungary and Saudi Arabia also enforce specific naming conventions where common American cognomens might not make the cut.
—Caroline Picard, Good Housekeeping, 26 Sep. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cognomen
Noun
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These are the direct descendants of the original U.S. Army 3.5-inch M-1 Rocket Launcher from WWII, universally known by it's nickname of 'Bazooka'.David Hambling, Forbes, 27 Nov. 2024
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The law bans most abortions once fetal cardiac activity is detected, hence the heartbeat nickname.Yaakov Katz, Newsweek, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
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The moniker is derived from a manipulation of Japanese folklore that became popular following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami in eastern Japan that led to the Fukushima nuclear plant meltdown, Frable said.Karen Garcia, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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That moniker — inspired as much by Gerwig’s thoughtful reflection on girlhood as sweeping support for pop stars like Taylor Swift and Beyoncé — would have seemed premature if it had actually been followed by the election of the first U.S. woman president in 2024.Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 20 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Last week in Columbus, Ohio, a dozen or so people marched through the city waving Nazi flags and yelling racial epithets.Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 22 Nov. 2024
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Today, the term is more often used as a negative epithet—but on her wise and poignant R&B album Heaux Tales, Jazmine Sullivan celebrates gossip’s emotional significance, showing the revelations and self-explorations that arise when women nurture community.Pitchfork, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Legends will have the exclusive rights to manage, operate, sell and distribute all Nuggets, Avalanche, Mammoth and Rapids merchandise and will operate the official team store, which will continue under the Altitude Authentics name.Sportico Staff, Sportico.com, 22 Nov. 2024
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Though the plant has only been in Givaudan's name for three years, this isn't the first explosion in Clifton, a fact that contributed to growing tensions in the room.Leo Bertucci, The Courier-Journal, 22 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Editor's note: The attribution in this story was updated to reflect that Stroh is the legal surname of Jordan Stroh Ouellette.Alexandria Burris, The Indianapolis Star, 14 Nov. 2024
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Women who don't want to lose their surnames sometimes hyphenate them with their fiancés'.Gordon G. Chang, Newsweek, 31 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Last season Bayer Leverkusen won its first-ever league title—a momentous occasion for a club that was always a bridesmaid but never a bride.Paolo Confino, Fortune, 28 Nov. 2024
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At present, Rihanna’s second-longest-charting title on the U.K. albums list remains Loud.Hugh McIntyre, Forbes, 28 Nov. 2024
Noun
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Though dramatic in nomenclature, a bomb cyclone is a low pressure system found north of the tropics and south of the Arctic that deepens, or intensifies, very rapidly over a 24-hour period.Terry Castleman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Nov. 2024
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Some aficionados will argue that three complications is just a complicated watch, but four—and more certainly five—qualifies for the grand complication nomenclature.Sophie Furley, Robb Report, 5 Nov. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near cognomen
Cite this Entry
“Cognomen.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cognomen. Accessed 3 Dec. 2024.
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