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surnommer

nickname, give a nickname to

verb soor-noh-MEH Rare
Communication Speech

Usage Note

Surnommer means to assign a nickname or alias; the resulting nickname itself is a surnom (masculine noun). Unlike English 'nickname', surnom can also be an honorific title (Charlemagne, surnommé 'le Grand'), so the verb is used in both informal and historical registers.

Examples

"Ses amis l'ont surnommé 'le Prof'."

Natural Translation

His friends nicknamed him 'the Prof'.

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