hypocorism

UK: /haɪˈpɒkəˌrɪzəm/ US: (hī pok′ə riz′əm, hi-)

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

hy•poc•o•rism  (hī pok′ə riz′əm, hi-), n. 

1. a pet name.
2. the practice of using a pet name.
3. the use of forms of speech imitative of baby talk, esp. by an adult.

• Greek hypokórisma pet name. See hypocoristic, -ism
• 1840–50

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

hypocorism / haɪˈpɒkəˌrɪzəm/, hypocorisma / haɪˌpɒkəˈrɪzmə/ noun

1. a pet name, esp one using a diminutive affix: "Sally" is a hypocorism for "Sarah"
2. another word for euphemism1

Etymology: 19th Century: from Greek hupokorisma, from hupokorizesthai to use pet names, from hypo- beneath + korizesthai, from korē girl, koros boy

hypocoristic / ˌhaɪpəkəˈrɪstɪk/, hypocoristical / ˌhaɪpəkəˈrɪstɪkəl/ adjective