MEANING:
noun
1. A pet name.
2. The practice of using pet names.
ETYMOLOGY:
From Greek hypokorisma (pet name), from hypo- (under) + kor- (child). Ultimately from Indo-European root ker- (to grow), which is also the source of other words such as increase, recruit, crew, crescent, cereal, concrete, crescendo, sincere, and Spanish crecer (to grow). Earliest documented use: 1850.
USAGE:
"This must be an offshoot of my brother's enthusiasm for hypocorism. He was always inventing idiotic nicknames for people."
Adam Davies; Goodbye Lemon; Riverhead; 2006.