Term for use of descriptor or noun in place of proper name?
What is the term for the literary use of a 'descriptor' in place of a proper name, as in Shakespeare's play Much Ado about Nothing, when Benedict refers to Beatrice as "Lady Disdain" instead of Lady Beatrice?
Solution 1:
The term epithet conveys your meaning. Accoridng to American Heritage
A term used as a descriptive substitute for the name or title of a person, such as The Great Emancipator for Abraham Lincoln.
Similarly Compact OED defines it as
an adjective or phrase expressing a quality or attribute regarded as characteristic of the person or thing mentioned