NICKNAME, noun [G. To banter. Signifies to surname, to call by a name of reproach.] A name given in contempt, derision or reproach; an opprobrious appellation. NICKNAME, verb transitive To give a name of reproach; to call by an opprobrious appellation. You nickname virtue vice.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI