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

“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 he explained of his nom de plume, in typically oracular fashion: “One is a beginning and two is the next step. Two is forever.”

From New York Times

Mr. Ingram said his nom de plume was meant to shield his identity as a former member of the Force Research Unit, the undercover British organization that ran Stakeknife as a mole.

From New York Times

She was especially fond of Italy’s culinary culture and its impact on American cooking, and with her name — a nom de plume — and her Mediterranean complexion, she was often taken for Italian.

From New York Times