workname

noun

workname

noun

UK /ˈwəːkneɪm/

Etymology From work + name.

1

The alias used by someone involved in secret espionage or intelligence work.

‘I made the acquaintance of the head of the independent Thirteenth Intelligence Directorate, subordinated to the Party's Central Committee, who is known throughout Centre only by his workname Karla.’1979, John Le Carré, Smiley's People, Folio Society, published 2010, page 256:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.