nom de plume

[ nom duh ploom; French nawn duh plym ]

noun

, plural noms de plume [nomz d, uh, , ploom, naw, n, d, uh, , plym].

1. pen name.

nom de plume

/ ˈnɒm də ˈpluːm /

noun

1. another term for pen name

nom de plume

1. French for “pen name”; an invented name under which an author writes. Mark Twain was the nom de plume of Samuel L. Clemens .

Word History and Origins

Origin of nom de plume¹

First recorded in 1815–25; coined in English, from French words: literally, “pen name”

Example Sentences

Frequent Comic-Con attendees, such as Jana Monji — a film critic and writer who goes by the nom de plume the Dragon Lady of Pasadena — said she wasn’t surprised that such an element might exist at one of these events.

From Los Angeles Times

“Shopaholic” marked her first foray into romance with her famed nom de plume — a mash-up of her middle name and her mother’s maiden name.

From Los Angeles Times

For yes, in case you’ve been living under a giant rockery, George Eliot was a “her,” with several roles other than her nom de plume: daughter, sister, friend, wife, stepmother.

From New York Times

As if those two didn’t pack enough co-headlining punch, Cat Power, the nom de plume of revered singer-songwriter Chan Marshall, opens.

From Seattle Times

“During his time, Alain Robert could only rely on the press to cover his ascents, whereas nowadays, Remi Enigma takes charge of staging and photographing his own exploits to feed his Instagram account,” Mr. Kolly said, referring to Mr. Lucidi’s Instagram nom de plume.

From New York Times