street name
4
8.8
- noun
- /strit neɪm/
- NSFW
:
nombre callejero
- One may draw the obvious parallels between the street name for heroin, the novel's title, and the destruction of the world represented within it.
Examples
-
The drug known as 'crystal meth' has a common street name among users.
-
Many illegal substances are referred to by their street name, making them harder to trace.
-
The street name for cocaine is often 'snow,' a term familiar among users.
Synonyms
49
7.9
Informal words used by a group and not for formal situations
2
9.5
An informal word or phrase used in speech by a certain group, not in formal language
1
9.9
An informal word or phrase used by a group of people
1
9.1
An informal word or phrase used in casual speech, not for formal situations
How Informal
- NSFW
4
8.8
- Slang
2
9.5
Surface Forms
Morphology
The financial-jargon sense 'securities held in a broker's name' is a specialized, non-literal use that cannot be inferred from the ordinary meanings of 'street' and 'name' (a B1 learner would most likely interpret it as 'the name of a street'). This domain-specific extension is essentially idiomatic and unpredictable from the constituents, so learners who know the words but not the term will not derive the intended meaning.
Etymology
The phrase street name for a drug may come from sellers and users who used secret words 'on the street' to hide what they meant. That's why it now means a slang word for an illegal drug.