Brewer's: Nom

“Nom de guerre ” is French for a “war name,” but really means an assumed name. It was customary at one time for everyone who entered the French army to assume a name, this was especially the case in the times of chivalry, when knights went by the device of their shields or some other distinctive character in their armour, as the “Red-cross Knight.”

“Nom de plume. ” English-French for the “pen name,” and meaning the name assumed by a writer who does not choose to give his own name to the public, as Peter Pindar, the nom de plume of Dr. John Wolcot; Peter Parley, of Mr. Goodrich, Currer Bell, of Charlotte Brontë; Cuthbert Bede, of the Rev. Edward Bradley, etc.

Related Content Allusions Foreign Words and Phrases Latin and Greek Word Elements Names: Their Origins and Meanings Old Testament Names Mythology Ancient Greek Literature & Mythology The Bible (King James version) The Koran (translation by J. M. Rodwell) Shakespeare's Plays Tales from Shakespeare (Charles and Mary Lamb) Frequently Misspelled Words Frequently Mispronounced Words Easily Confused Words Writing & Language