monica
monica Lexical Profile
• noun
A female given name of North African or Latin origin, borne famously by Saint Monica, the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo.
"They decided to name their daughter Monica in honor of her grandmother."
British A person's name, nickname, or alias (an older variant of moniker).
"The old street vendor was known throughout the market only by his colorful monica."
A dark-skinned wine grape variety cultivated primarily on the island of Sardinia in Italy, or the fruity red wine produced from it.
"During our dinner in Cagliari, the sommelier recommended a glass of local Monica to pair with the roasted lamb."
Word Nuance & Usage
As a slang term for a name or nickname, 'monica' is an older, chiefly British variant of the now much more common spelling 'moniker'.
• Rhymes for monica
Word Origin & Etymology
In its slang sense meaning a name or nickname, it is a mid-19th-century variant of 'moniker', of uncertain origin (possibly from Shelta or Cant). The grape variety derives from the Italian name 'Mora' or Spanish monastic viticulture in Sardinia.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.