N.
N (&ebreve;n), the fourteenth letter of English
alphabet, is a vocal consonent, and, in allusion to its mode of
formation, is called the dentinasal or linguanasal
consonent. Its commoner sound is that heard in ran,
done; but when immediately followed in the same word by the
sound of g hard or k (as in single, sink,
conquer), it usually represents the same sound as the digraph
ng in sing, bring, etc. This is a simple but
related sound, and is called the gutturo-nasal consonent. See
Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 243-246.
The letter N came into English through the Latin and Greek from
the Phœnician, which probably derived it from the Egyptian as
the ultimate origin. It is etymologically most closely related to M.
See M.
N, n. (Print.) A measure of
space equal to half an M (or em); an en.
Na (nä), a. & adv. No, not.
See No. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Nab (năb), n. [Cf. Knap,
Knop, Knob.] 1. The summit of an
eminence. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.
2. (Firearms) The cock of a
gunlock. Knight.
3. (Locksmithing) The keeper, or box
into which the lock is shot. Knight.
Nab, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Nabbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Nabbing.] [Dan nappe, or Sw. nappa.] To
catch or seize suddenly or unexpectedly. [Colloq.]
Smollett.
Na"bit (nā"b&ibreve;t), n.
Pulverized sugar candy. Crabb.
||Nabk (năbk), n. [Ar.
nabiqa, nibqa.] (Bot.) The edible berries
of the Zizyphys Lotus, a tree of Northern Africa, and
Southwestern Europe. [Written also nubk.] See
Lotus (b), and Sadr.
Na"bob (nā"b&obreve;b), n. [Hind.
nawāb, from Ar. nawāb, pl. of
nāïb a vicegerent, governor. Cf Nawab.]
1. A deputy or viceroy in India; a governor of a
province of the ancient Mogul empire.
2. One who returns to Europe from the East
with immense riches: hence, any man of great wealth. " A
bilious old nabob." Macaulay.
Nac"a*rat (?), n. [F. nacarat,
fr. Sp. or Pg. nacarado, fr. nácar mother-of-
pearl. See Nacre.] 1. A pale red color,
with a cast of orange. Ure.
2. Fine linen or crape dyed of this
color. Ure.
Nack"er (?), n. See
Nacre. Johnson.
Na"cre (?), n. [F., cf. Sp.
nácara, nácar, It. nacchera,
naccaro, LL. nacara, nacrum; of Oriental origin,
cf. Ar. nakīr hollowed.] (Zoöl.) A
pearly substance which lines the interior of many shells, and is most
perfect in the mother-of-pearl. [Written also nacker and
naker.] See Pearl, and Mother-of-
pearl.
Na"cre*ous (?), a. [See Nacre.]
(Zoöl.) Consisting of, or resembling, nacre;
pearly.
{ Nad (?), Nad"de (?) }. [Contr. fr. ne
hadde.] Had not. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Nad"der (?), n. [AS.
nædre. See Adder.] An adder. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Na"dir (?), n. [F., Sp., & It.
nadir; all fr. Ar. nasīru's samt nadir, prop.,
the point opposite the zenith (as samt), in which
nasīr means alike, corresponding to. Cf.
Azimuth, Zenith.] 1. That point of
the heavens, or lower hemisphere, directly opposite the zenith; the
inferior pole of the horizon; the point of the celestial sphere
directly under the place where we stand.
2. The lowest point; the time of greatest
depression.
The seventh century is the nadir of the human
mind in Europe.
Hallam.
Nadir of the sun (Astron.), the axis
of the conical shadow projected by the earth. Crabb.
||Næ"ni*a (?), n. See
Nenia.
Næve (?), n. [L. naevus.]
A nævus. [Obs.] Dryden.
Næ"void (?), a.
[Nævus + -oid.] Resembling a nævus or
nævi; as, nævoid elephantiasis.
Dunglison.
Næ"vose` (?), a. Spotted;
freckled.
||Næ"vus (nē"vŭs),
n.; pl. Nævi (-
vī). [L.] (Med.) A spot or mark on the skin of
children when born; a birthmark; -- usually applied to vascular
tumors, i. e., those consisting mainly of blood vessels, as dilated
arteries, veins, or capillaries.
Nag (năg), n. [OE. nagge,
D. negge; akin to E. neigh.] 1. A
small horse; a pony; hence, any horse.
2. A paramour; -- in contempt. [Obs.]
Shak.
Nag, v. t. & i. [imp. & p.
p. Nagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Nagging (?).] [Cf. Sw. nagga to nibble, peck, Dan.
nage to gnaw, Icel. naga, gnaga, G.
nagen, & E. gnaw.] To tease in a petty way; to
scold habitually; to annoy; to fret pertinaciously. [Colloq.]
"She never nagged." J. Ingelow.
Nag"ging (?), a. Fault-finding;
teasing; persistently annoying; as, a nagging toothache.
[Colloq.]
Nag"gy (?), a. Irritable;
touchy. [Colloq.]
||Na"gor (?), n. (Zoöl.)
A West African gazelle (Gazella redunca).
Nag"yag*ite (?), n. [So called from
Nagyag, in Transylvania.] (Min.) A mineral of
blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster, generally of a foliated
massive structure; foliated tellurium. It is a telluride of lead and
gold.
Na"iad (?), n. [L. naias, -
adis, naïs, -idis, a water nymph, Gr &?;, &?;,
fr. &?; to flow: cf. F. naïade. Cf. Naid.]
1. (Myth.) A water nymph; one of the
lower female divinities, fabled to preside over some body of fresh
water, as a lake, river, brook, or fountain.
2. (Zoöl.) Any species of a tribe
(Naiades) of freshwater bivalves, including Unio,
Anodonta, and numerous allied genera; a river
mussel.
3. (Zoöl) One of a group of
butterflies. See Nymph.
4. (Bot.) Any plant of the order
Naiadaceæ, such as eelgrass, pondweed, etc.
Na"iant (?), a. (Her.) See
Natant. Crabb.
Na"id (?), n. [See Naiad.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small, fresh-
water, chætopod annelids of the tribe Naidina. They
belong to the Oligochæta.
Na"ïf` (&?;; formerly &?;),
a. [F. naïf. See Naïve.]
1. Having a true natural luster without being
cut; -- applied by jewelers to a precious stone.
2. Naïve; as, a naïf
remark. London Spectator.
||Na"ik (?), n. [Hind.
nāyak.] A chief; a leader; a Sepoy corporal.
Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Nail (?), n. [AS. nægel,
akin to D. nagel, OS &?; OHG. nagal, G. nagel,
Icel. nagl, nail (in sense 1), nagli nail (in sense 3),
Sw. nagel nail (in senses 1 and 3), Dan. nagle, Goth.
ganagljan to nail, Lith. nagas nail (in sense 1), Russ.
nogote, L. unguis, Gr. &?;, Skr. nakha. &?;]
1. (Anat.) the horny scale of plate of
epidermis at the end of the fingers and toes of man and many
apes.
His nayles like a briddes claws
were.
Chaucer.
&fist; The nails are strictly homologous with hoofs and claws.
When compressed, curved, and pointed, they are called talons
or claws, and the animal bearing them is said to be
unguiculate; when they incase the extremities of the digits
they are called hoofs, and the animal is ungulate.
2. (Zoöl.) (a)
The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain
hemiptera. (b) The terminal horny plate on
the beak of ducks, and other allied birds.
3. A slender, pointed piece of metal, usually
with a head, used for fastening pieces of wood or other material
together, by being driven into or through them.
&fist; The different sorts of nails are named either from the use
to which they are applied, from their shape, from their size, or from
some other characteristic, as shingle, floor, ship-carpenters', and
horseshoe nails, roseheads, diamonds, fourpenny, tenpenny (see
Penny, a.), chiselpointed, cut, wrought, or
wire nails, etc.
4. A measure of length, being two inches and
a quarter, or the sixteenth of a yard.
Nail ball (Ordnance), a round
projectile with an iron bolt protruding to prevent it from turning in
the gun. -- Nail plate, iron in plates
from which cut nails are made. -- On the nail,
in hand; on the spot; immediately; without delay or time of
credit; as, to pay money on the nail. "You shall have ten
thousand pounds on the nail." Beaconsfield. --
To hit the nail on the head, to hit most
effectively; to do or say a thing in the right way.
Nail, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Nailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Nailing.] [AS. næglian. See Nail,
n.] 1. To fasten with a nail
or nails; to close up or secure by means of nails; as, to nail
boards to the beams.
He is now dead, and nailed in his
chest.
Chaucer.
2. To stud or boss with nails, or as with
nails.
The rivets of your arms were nailed with
gold.
Dryden.
3. To fasten, as with a nail; to bind or
hold, as to a bargain or to acquiescence in an argument or assertion;
hence, to catch; to trap.
When they came to talk of places in town, you saw at
once how I nailed them.
Goldsmith.
4. To spike, as a cannon. [Obs.]
Crabb.
To nail a lie or an assertion,
etc., to detect and expose it, so as to put a stop to its
currency; -- an expression probably derived from the former practice
of shopkeepers, who were accustomed to nail bad or counterfeit pieces
of money to the counter.
Nail"brush`, n. A brush for
cleaning the nails.
Nail"er (?), n. 1.
One whose occupation is to make nails; a nail maker.
2. One who fastens with, or drives,
nails.
Nail"er*ess, n. A women who makes
nailes.
Nail"er*y (?), n.; pl. Naileries
(&?;). A manufactory where nails are made.
Nail"-head`ed (?), a. Having a
head like that of a nail; formed so as to resemble the head of a
nail.
Nail-headed characters, arrowheaded or
cuneiform characters. See under Arrowheaded. --
Nail-headed molding (Arch.), an ornament
consisting of a series of low four-sided pyramids resembling the
heads of large nails; -- called also nail-head molding, or
nail-head. It is the same as the simplest form of dogtooth.
See Dogtooth.
Nail"less, a. Without nails;
having no nails.
Nain`sook" (?), n. [Nainsukh, a
valley in Kaghan.] A thick sort of jaconet muslin, plain or
striped, formerly made in India.
||Na"is (?), n. [L., a naiad.]
(Zoöl.) See Naiad.
||Nais`sant" (?), a. [F., p. pr. of
naître to be born, L. nasci.] (Her.)
Same as Jessant.
Na"ïve` (?), a. [F.
naïf, fem. naïve, fr. L. nativus
innate, natural, native. See Native, and cf.
Naïf.] Having native or unaffected simplicity;
ingenuous; artless; frank; as, naïve manners; a
naïve person; naïve and unsophisticated
remarks.
Na"ïve`ly (?), adv. In a
naïve manner.
||Na`ïve`té" (?), n. [F.
See Naïve, and cf. Nativity.] Native
simplicity; unaffected plainness or ingenuousness;
artlessness.
A story which pleases me by its
naïveté -- that is, by its unconscious
ingenuousness.
De Quincey.
Na"ïve`ty (?), n.
Naïveté. Carlyle.
Nake (?), v. t. To make
naked. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Come, be ready, nake your swords.
Old Play.
Na"ked (?), a. [AS. nacod; akin
to D. naakt, G. nackt, OHG. nacchot,
nahhot, Icel. nökviðr, nakinn, Sw.
naken, Dan. nögen, Goth. naqaþs,
Lith. nůgas, Russ. nagii, L. nudus, Skr.
nagna. √266. Cf. Nude.]
1. Having no clothes on; uncovered; nude;
bare; as, a naked body; a naked limb; a naked
sword.
2. Having no means of defense or protection;
open; unarmed; defenseless.
Thy power is full naked.
Chaucer.
Behold my bosom naked to your
swords.
Addison.
3. Unprovided with needful or desirable
accessories, means of sustenance, etc.; destitute; unaided;
bare.
Patriots who had exposed themselves for the public,
and whom they say now left naked.
Milton.
4. Without addition, exaggeration, or
excuses; not concealed or disguised; open to view; manifest;
plain.
The truth appears so naked on my side,
That any purblind eye may find it out.
Shak.
All things are naked and opened unto the eyes
of him with whom we to do.
Heb. iv. 13.
5. Mere; simple; plain.
The very naked name of love.
Shak.
6. (Bot.) Without pubescence; as, a
naked leaf or stem; bare, or not covered by the customary
parts, as a flower without a perianth, a stem without leaves, seeds
without a pericarp, buds without bud scales.
7. (Mus.) Not having the full
complement of tones; -- said of a chord of only two tones, which
requires a third tone to be sounded with them to make the combination
pleasing to the ear; as, a naked fourth or fifth.
Naked bed, a bed the occupant of which is
naked, no night linen being worn in ancient times. Shak.
-- Naked eye, the eye alone, unaided by
glasses, or by telescope, microscope, or the like. --
Naked-eyed medusa. (Zoöl.) See
Hydromedusa. -- Naked flooring
(Carp.), the timberwork which supports a floor.
Gwilt. -- Naked mollusk (Zoöl.),
a nudibranch. -- Naked wood (Bot.),
a large rhamnaceous tree (Colibrina reclinata) of Southern
Florida and the West Indies, having a hard and heavy heartwood, which
takes a fine polish. C. S. Sargent.
Syn. -- Nude; bare; denuded; uncovered; unclothed; exposed;
unarmed; plain; defenseless.
Na"ked*ly, adv. In a naked manner;
without covering or disguise; manifestly; simply; barely.
Na"ked*ness, n. 1.
The condition of being naked.
2. (Script.) The privy parts; the
genitals.
Ham . . . saw the nakedness of his
father.
Gen. ix. 22.
Na"ker (?), n. (Zoöl.)
Same as Nacre.
Na"ker, n. [OE. nakere, F.
nakaire, LL. nacara, Per. naqāret.] A
kind of kettledrum. [Obs.] Chaucer.
||Na"koo (?), n. [From the native
name.] (Zoöl.) The gavial. [Written also
nako.]
Nale (?), n. [A corrupt form arising
from the older "at þen ale" at the nale.] Ale;
also, an alehouse. [Obs.]
Great feasts at the nale.
Chaucer.
Nall (?), n. [Either fr. Icel.
nāl (see Needle); or fr. awl, like
newt fr. ewt.] An awl. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.]
Tusser.
Nam (?). [Contr. fr. ne am.] Am not.
[Obs.]
Nam, obs. imp. of
Nim. Chaucer.
Nam"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being
named.
Na*ma"tion (?), n. [LL. namare
to take; cf. AS. niman to take.] (O. Eng. & Scots Law)
A distraining or levying of a distress; an impounding.
Burrill.
Nam"ay*cush (?), n. [Indian name.]
(Zool.) A large North American lake trout (Salvelinus
namaycush). It is usually spotted with red, and sometimes weighs
over forty pounds. Called also Mackinaw trout, lake
trout, lake salmon, salmon trout, togue, and
tuladi.
Nam"by-pam`by (?), n. [From Ambrose
Phillips, in ridicule of the extreme simplicity of some of his
verses.] Talk or writing which is weakly sentimental or
affectedly pretty. Macaulay.
Nam"by-pam`by, a. Affectedly
pretty; weakly sentimental; finical; insipid.
Thackeray.
Namby-pamby madrigals of love.
W. Gifford.
Name (?), n. [AS. nama; akin to
D. naam, OS. & OHG. namo, G. name, Icel.
nafn, for namn, Dan. navn, Sw. namn,
Goth. namō, L. nomen (perh. influenced by
noscere, gnoscere, to learn to know), Gr.
'o`mona, Scr. nāman. √267. Cf.
Anonymous, Ignominy, Misnomer, Nominal,
Noun.] 1. The title by which any person
or thing is known or designated; a distinctive specific appellation,
whether of an individual or a class.
Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was
the name thereof.
Gen. ii. 19.
What's in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet.
Shak.
2. A descriptive or qualifying appellation
given to a person or thing, on account of a character or
acts.
His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of
Peace.
Is. ix. 6.
3. Reputed character; reputation, good or
bad; estimation; fame; especially, illustrious character or fame;
honorable estimation; distinction.
What men of name resort to him?
Shak.
Far above . . . every name that is named, not
only in this world, but also in that which is to come.
Eph. i. 21.
I will get me a name and honor in the
kingdom.
1 Macc. iii. 14.
He hath brought up an evil name upon a
virgin.
Deut. xxii. 19.
The king's army . . . had left no good name
behind.
Clarendon.
4. Those of a certain name; a race; a
family.
The ministers of the republic, mortal enemies of his
name, came every day to pay their feigned
civilities.
Motley.
5. A person, an individual.
[Poetic]
They list with women each degenerate
name.
Dryden.
Christian name. (a) The name
a person receives at baptism, as distinguished from surname;
baptismal name. (b) A given name, whether
received at baptism or not. -- Given name.
See under Given. -- In name, in
profession, or by title only; not in reality; as, a friend in
name. -- In the name of.
(a) In behalf of; by the authority of. " I
charge you in the duke's name to obey me." Shak.
(b) In the represented or assumed character
of. "I'll to him again in name of Brook." Shak. --
Name plate, a plate as of metal, glass, etc.,
having a name upon it, as a sign; a doorplate. -- Pen
name, a name assumed by an author; a pseudonym or nom
de plume. Bayard Taylor. -- Proper name
(Gram.), a name applied to a particular person, place, or
thing. -- To call names, to apply
opprobrious epithets to; to call by reproachful appellations. --
To take a name in vain, to use a name lightly
or profanely; to use a name in making flippant or dishonest
oaths. Ex. xx. 7.
Syn. -- Appellation; title; designation; cognomen;
denomination; epithet. -- Name, Appellation,
Title, Denomination. Name is generic, denoting
that combination of sounds or letters by which a person or thing is
known and distinguished. Appellation, although sometimes put
for name simply, denotes, more properly, a descriptive
term, used by way of marking some individual peculiarity or
characteristic; as, Charles the Bold, Philip the
Stammerer. A title is a term employed to point out
one's rank, office, etc.; as, the Duke of Bedford, Paul the
Apostle, etc. Denomination is to particular bodies what
appellation is to individuals; thus, the church of Christ is
divided into different denominations, as Congregationalists,
Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc.
Name (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Named (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Naming.] [AS. namian. See Name,
n.] 1. To give a distinctive
name or appellation to; to entitle; to denominate; to style; to
call.
She named the child Ichabod.
1
Sam. iv. 21.
Thus was the building left
Ridiculous, and the work Confusion named.
Milton.
2. To mention by name; to utter or publish
the name of; to refer to by distinctive title; to mention.
None named thee but to praise.
Halleck.
Old Yew, which graspest at the stones
That name the underlying dead.
Tennyson.
3. To designate by name or specifically for
any purpose; to nominate; to specify; to appoint; as, to name
a day for the wedding.
Whom late you have named for
consul.
Shak.
4. (House of Commons) To designate (a
member) by name, as the Speaker does by way of reprimand.
Syn. -- To denominate; style; term; call; mention; specify;
designate; nominate.
Name"less, a. 1.
Without a name; not having been given a name; as, a
nameless star. Waller.
2. Undistinguished; not noted or
famous.
A nameless dwelling and an unknown
name.
Harte.
3. Not known or mentioned by name; anonymous;
as, a nameless writer."Nameless pens."
Atterbury.
4. Unnamable; indescribable;
inexpressible.
But what it is, that is not yet known; what
I can not name; &?;t is nameless woe,I wot.
Shak.
I have a nameless horror of the
man.
Hawthorne.
Name"less*ly, adv. In a nameless
manner.
Name"ly, adv. 1.
By name; by particular mention; specifically; especially;
expressly. [Obs.] Chaucer.
The solitariness of man . . . God hath namely
and principally ordered to prevent by marriage.
Milton.
2. That is to say; to wit; videlicet; --
introducing a particular or specific designation.
For the excellency of the soul, namely, its
power of divining dreams; that several such divinations have been
made, none &?;an question.
Addison.
Nam"er (?), n. One who names, or
calls by name.
Name"sake` (?), n. [For name's
sake; i. e., one named for the sake of another's name.]
One that has the same name as another; especially, one called
after, or named out of regard to, another.
Na*mo" (?), adv. No more.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Nan (?), interj. [For anan.]
Anan. [Prov. Eng.]
Nan"dine (?), n. [Native name.]
(Zoöl.) An African carnivore (Nandinia
binotata), allied to the civets. It is spotted with
black.
{ Nan"dou (?), Nan"du (?), }
n. [Braz. nhandu or yandu.]
(Zoöl.) Any one of three species of South American
ostriches of the genera Rhea and Pterocnemia. See
Rhea. [Written also nandow.]
Nan*keen" (?), n. [So called from its
being originally manufactured at Nankin, in China.] [Written
also nankin.] 1. A species of cloth, of a
firm texture, originally brought from China, made of a species of
cotton (Gossypium religiosum) that is naturally of a brownish
yellow color quite indestructible and permanent.
2. An imitation of this cloth by artificial
coloring.
3. pl. Trousers made of nankeen.
Ld. Lytton.
Nankeen bird (Zoöl.), the
Australian night heron (Nycticorax Caledonicus); -- called
also quaker.
Nan"ny (?), n. A diminutive of
Ann or Anne, the proper name.
Nanny goat, a female goat.
[Colloq.]
Nan"ny*ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.)
See Sheepberry.
Nan"pie (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The magpie.
||Na"os (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
&?;&?;&?;&?; a temple, the cella.] (Arch.) A term used by
modern archæologists instead of cella. See
Cella.
Nap (?), v. i. [imp. & p.
p. Napped (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Napping (?).] [OE. nappen, AS. hnæppian to
take a nap, to slumber; cf. AS. hnipian to bend one's self,
Icel. hnipna, hnīpa, to droop.]
1. To have a short sleep; to be drowsy; to
doze. Chaucer.
2. To be in a careless, secure state.
Wyclif.
I took thee napping, unprepared.
Hudibras.
Nap, n. A short sleep; a doze; a
siesta. Cowper.
Nap, n. [OE. noppe, AS.
hnoppa; akin to D. nop, Dan. noppe, LG.
nobbe.] 1. Woolly or villous surface of
felt, cloth, plants, etc.; an external covering of down, of short
fine hairs or fibers forming part of the substance of anything, and
lying smoothly in one direction; the pile; -- as, the nap of
cotton flannel or of broadcloth.
2. pl. The loops which are cut to make
the pile, in velvet. Knight.
Nap, v. t. To raise, or put, a nap
on.
Nape (?), n. [Perh. akin to knap
a knop.] The back part of the neck. Spenser.
Nape"-crest` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) An African bird of the genus
Schizorhis, related to the plantain eaters.
Na"per*y (?), n.; pl.
Naperies (#). [OF. naperie, fr. nape
a tablecloth, F. nappe, LL. napa, fr. L. mappa.
See Map, and cf. Apron, Napkin.] Table
linen; also, linen clothing, or linen in general. [Obs.]
Gayton.
Na"pha wa`ter (?). [Sp. nafa, from Ar.
napha odor.] A perfume distilled from orange
flowers.
Na"phew (?), n. (Bot.) See
Navew.
Naph"tha (?), n. [L. naphtha,
Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;, fr.Ar. nafth, nifth.]
1. (Chem.) The complex mixture of
volatile, liquid, inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and
usually called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock
oil. Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in the
refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between the lighter
gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a specific gravity of about
0.7, -- used as a solvent for varnishes, as a carburetant,
illuminant, etc.
2. (Chem.) One of several volatile
inflammable liquids obtained by the distillation of certain
carbonaceous materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as,
Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at
Boghead, Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil,
from coal tar; wood naphtha, from wood, etc.
&fist; This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers to a
number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable liquids, chiefly
belonging to the ethers, as the sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of
ethyl. Watts.
Naphtha vitrioli [NL., naphtha of vitriol]
(Old Chem.), common ethyl ether; -- formerly called
sulphuric ether. See Ether.
Naph"tha*late (?), n. (Chem.)
A salt of naphthalic acid; a phthalate. [Obs.]
Naph"tha*lene (?), n. (Chem.)
A white crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon,
C10H8, analogous to benzene, and obtained by
the distillation of certain bituminous materials, such as the heavy
oil of coal tar. It is the type and basis of a large number of
derivatives among organic compounds. Formerly called also
naphthaline.
Naphthalene red (Chem.), a dyestuff
obtained from certain diazo derivatives of naphthylamine, and called
also magdala red. -- Naphthalene yellow
(Chem.), a yellow dyestuff obtained from certain nitro
derivatives of naphthol.
Naph`tha*len"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to , or derived from, naphthalene; -- used
specifically to designate a yellow crystalline substance, called
naphthalenic acid and also hydroxy quinone, and
obtained from certain derivatives of naphthol.
Naph*tha"lic (?), a. (Chem.)
(a) Pertaining to, derived from, or related to,
naphthalene; -- used specifically to denote any one of a series of
acids derived from naphthalene, and called naphthalene
acids. (b) Formerly, designating an
acid probably identical with phthalic acid.
Naph*thal"i*dine (?), n.
[Naphthalene + toluidine.] (Chem.) Same as
Naphthylamine.
{ Naph"tha*lin (?), Naph"tha*line (?), }
n. [F. naphthaline.] (Chem.) See
Naphthalene.
Naph"tha*lize (?), v. t. (Chem.)
To mingle, saturate, or impregnate, with naphtha.
Naph*thaz"a*rin (?), n.
[Naphthalene + alizarin.] (Chem.) A
dyestuff, resembling alizarin, obtained from naphthoquinone as a red
crystalline substance with a bright green, metallic luster; -- called
also naphthalizarin.
Naph"thene (?), n. (Chem.)
A peculiar hydrocarbon occuring as an ingredient of Caucasian
petroleum.
Naph"thide (?), n. (Chem.)
A compound of naphthalene or its radical with a metallic
element; as, mercuric naphthide.
Naph*tho"ic (?), a. (Chem.)
Pertaining to, derived from, or related to, naphthalene; -- used
specifically to designate any one of a series of carboxyl
derivatives, called naphthoic acids.
Naph"thol (?), n. [Naphthalene +
-ol.] (Chem.) Any one of a series of hydroxyl
derivatives of naphthalene, analogous to phenol. In general they are
crystalline substances with a phenol (carbolic) odor.
Naphthol blue, Naphthol
orange, Naphthol yellow (Chem.),
brilliant dyestuffs produced from certain complex nitrogenous
derivatives of naphthol or naphthoquinone.
Naph`tho*qui"none (?), n.
[Naphthalene + quinone.] (Chem.) A yellow
crystalline substance, C10H6O2,
analogous to quinone, obtained by oxidizing naphthalene with chromic
acid.
Naph"thyl (?), n. [Naphthalene +
-yl.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon radical regarded as
the essential residue of naphthalene.
Naph`thyl*am"ine (?), n. (Chem.)
One of two basic amido derivatives of naphthalene,
C10H7.NH2, forming crystalline
solids.
{ Na*pie"ri*an, Na*pe"ri*an , } (?),
a. Of, pertaining to, or discovered by,
Napier, or Naper.
Naperian logarithms. See under
Logarithms.
{ Na"pi*er's bones` (?), Na"pi*er's rods` (?) }.
A set of rods, made of bone or other material, each divided into
nine spaces, and containing the numbers of a column of the
multiplication table; -- a contrivance of Baron Napier, the inventor
of logarithms, for facilitating the operations of multiplication and
division.
Na"pi*form (?), a. [L. napus
turnip + -form: cf. F. napiforme. Cf. Navew.]
(Bot.) Turnip-shaped; large and round in the upper part,
and very slender below.
Nap"kin (?), n. [Dim. of OF.
nape a tablecloth, cloth, F. nappe, L. mappa.
See Napery.] 1. A little towel, or small
cloth, esp. one for wiping the fingers and mouth at table.
2. A handkerchief. [Obs.]
Shak.
Napkin pattern. See Linen scroll,
under Linen. -- Napkin ring, a ring of metal, ivory, or
other material, used to inclose a table napkin.
Nap"less, a. Without nap;
threadbare. Shak.
Na"ples yel"low (?). See under
Yellow.
Na*po"le*on (?), n. [From the Emperor
Napoleon 1.] A French gold coin of twenty francs, or
about $3.86.
Na*po`le*on"ic (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Napoleon I., or his family; resembling, or having the
qualities of, Napoleon I. Lowell.
Na*po"le*on*ist (?), n. A
supporter of the dynasty of the Napoleons.
Nappe (?), n. [F. nappe cloth,
sheet. See Napery.] (Geom.) Sheet; surface; all
that portion of a surface that is continuous in such a way that it is
possible to pass from any one point of the portion to any other point
of the portion without leaving the surface. Thus, some hyperboloids
have one nappe, and some have two.
Nap"pi*ness (?), n. [From 2d
Nappy.] The quality of having a nap; abundance of nap, as
on cloth.
Nap"ping (?), n. 1.
The act or process of raising a nap, as on cloth.
2. (Hat Making) A sheet of partially
felted fur before it is united to the hat body.
Knight.
Nap"py (?), a. [From 1st Nap.]
1. Inclined to sleep; sleepy; as, to feel
nappy.
2. Tending to cause sleepiness; serving to
make sleepy; strong; heady; as, nappy ale. [Obs.]
Wyatt.
Nap"py, a. [From 3d Nap.]
Having a nap or pile; downy; shaggy. Holland.
Nap"py, n.; pl.
Nappies (#). [OE. nap, AS. hnæp
cup, bowl. See Hanaper.] A round earthen dish, with a
flat bottom and sloping sides. [Written also
nappie.]
Nap"-tak`ing (?), n. A taking by
surprise; an unexpected onset or attack. Carew.
||Na*pu" (?), n. [Native name.]
(Zoöl.) A very small chevrotain (Tragulus
Javanicus), native of Java. It is about the size of a hare, and
is noted for its agility in leaping. Called also Java musk
deer, pygmy musk deer, and deerlet.
||Na"pus (?), n. [L.] (Bot.)
A kind of turnip. See Navew.
Nar"ce*ine (?), n. [L. narce
numbness, torpor, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;: cf. F.
narcéïne.] (Chem.) An alkaloid found
in small quantities in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline
substance of a bitter astringent taste. It is a narcotic. Called also
narceia.
Nar*cis"sine (?), a. Of or
pertaining to Narcissus.
Nar*cis"sus (?), n.; pl.
Narcissuses (#). [L. narcissus, and
(personified) Narcissus, Gr. na`rkissos,
Na`rkissos, fr. na`rkh torpor, in allusion to
the narcotic properties of the flower. Cf. Narcotic.]
1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous
bulbous plants with handsome flowers, having a cup-shaped crown
within the six-lobed perianth, and comprising the daffodils and
jonquils of several kinds.
2. (Classical Myth.) A beautiful youth
fabled to have been enamored of his own image as seen in a fountain,
and to have been changed into the flower called Narcissus.
||Nar*co"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr.
na`rkwsis. See Narcotic.] (Med.)
Privation of sense or consciousness, due to a
narcotic.
Nar*cot"ic (?), a. [F.
narcotique, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;, fr.
&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to benumb, na`rkh numbness, torpor.]
(Med.) Having the properties of a narcotic; operating as
a narcotic.
-- Nar*cot"ic*ness, n.
Nar*cot"ic (?), n. (Med.) A
drug which, in medicinal doses, generally allays morbid
susceptibility, relieves pain, and produces sleep; but which, in
poisonous doses, produces stupor, coma, or convulsions, and, when
given in sufficient quantity, causes death. The best examples are
opium (with morphine), belladonna (with atropine), and
conium.
Nercotykes and opye (opium) of
Thebes.
Chaucer.
Nar*cot"ic*al (?), a.
Narcotic.
-- Nar*cot"ic*al*ly, adv.
Nar"co*tine (?), n. [Cf. F.
narcotine. Cf. Cotarnine.] (Chem.) An
alkaloid found in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline
substance, tasteless and less poisonous than morphine; -- called also
narcotia.
Nar`co*tin"ic (?), a. Pertaining
to narcotine.
Nar"co*tism (?), n. [Cf. F.
narcotisme.] Narcosis; the state of being
narcotized. G. Eliot.
Nar"co*tize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Narcotized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Narcotizing (?).] To imbue with, or subject
to the influence of, a narcotic; to put into a state of
narcosis.
Nard (?), n. [AS., fr. L.
nardus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;; cf. Heb. nêrd,
Per. nard, Scr. nalada.] 1.
(Bot.) An East Indian plant (Nardostachys
Jatamansi) of the Valerian family, used from remote ages in
Oriental perfumery.
2. An ointment prepared partly from this
plant. See Spikenard.
3. (Bot.) A kind of grass (Nardus
stricta) of little value, found in Europe and Asia.
Nard"ine (?), a. [L. nardinus,
Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;.] Of or pertaining to nard; having
the qualities of nard.
||Nar*doo" (?), n. (Bot.)
An Australian name for Marsilea Drummondii, a four-leaved
cryptogamous plant, sometimes used for food.
Nare (?), n. [L. naris.] A
nostril. [R.] B. Jonson.
||Na"res (?), n. pl. [L., pl. of
naris nostril.] (Anat.) The nostrils or nasal
openings, -- the anterior nares being the external or proper
nostrils, and the posterior nares, the openings of the nasal
cavities into the mouth or pharynx.
{ Nar"gile (?), Nar"gi*leh (?), }
n. [Per. nārghīl, prop., a
cocoanut; prob. so called because first made of a cocoanut.] An
apparatus for smoking tobacco. It has a long flexible tube, and the
smoke is drawn through water.
||Nar"i*ca (?), n. (Zoöl.)
The brown coati. See Coati.
Nar"i*form (?), a. [L. naris
nostril + -form. See Nose.] Formed like the
nose.
Nar"ine (?), a. Of or belonging to
the nostrils.
Nar"ra*ble (?), a. [L.
narrabilis, fr. narrare to narrate.] Capable of
being narrated or told. [Obs.]
Nar`ra*gan"setts (?), n. pl.; sing.
Narragansett (&?;). (Ethnol.) A
tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited the shores of Narragansett
Bay.
Nar*rate" (?), v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Narrated; p. pr. & vb. n.
Narrating.] [L. narratus, p. p. of narrare to
narrate, prob. for gnarigare, fr. gnarus knowing. See
Ignore, Know.] To tell, rehearse, or recite, as a
story; to relate the particulars of; to go through with in detail, as
an incident or transaction; to give an account of.
Syn. -- To relate; recount; detail; describe.
Nar*ra"tion (?), n. [L.
narratio: cf. F. narration.] 1.
The act of telling or relating the particulars of an event;
rehearsal; recital.
2. That which is related; the relation in
words or writing of the particulars of any transaction or event, or
of any series of transactions or events; story; history.
3. (Rhet.) That part of a discourse
which recites the time, manner, or consequences of an action, or
simply states the facts connected with the subject.
Syn. -- Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; description;
explanation; detail; narrative; story; tale; history. See
Account.
Nar"ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F.
narratif.] 1. Of or pertaining to
narration; relating to the particulars of an event or
transaction.
2. Apt or inclined to relate stories, or to
tell particulars of events; story-telling; garrulous.
But wise through time, and narrative with
age.
Pope.
Nar"ra*tive, n. That which is
narrated; the recital of a story; a continuous account of the
particulars of an event or transaction; a story.
Cyntio was much taken with my
narrative.
Tatler.
Syn. -- Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; narration;
story; tale. See Account.
Nar"ra*tive*ly, adv. In the style
of narration.
Nar*ra"tor (?), n. [L.] One who
narrates; one who relates a series of events or
transactions.
Nar"ra*to*ry (?), a. Giving an
account of events; narrative; as, narratory letters.
Howell.
Narre (?), a. Nearer. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Nar"row (?), a.
[Compar. Narrower (?);
superl. Narrowest.] [OE. narwe,
naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.]
1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having
little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a
narrow street; a narrow hem.
Hath passed in safety through the narrow
seas.
Shak.
2. Of little extent; very limited;
circumscribed.
The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a
narrow compass in the world.
Bp.
Wilkins.
3. Having but a little margin; having barely
sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; -- with special
reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a
narrow escape; a narrow majority.
Dryden.
4. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching;
as, narrow circumstances.
5. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal;
bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views. "A
narrow understanding." Macaulay.
6. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous;
selfish.
A very narrow and stinted charity.
Smalridge.
7. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate;
exact.
But first with narrow search I must walk
round
This garden, and no corner leave unspied.
Milton.
8. (Phon.) Formed (as a vowel) by a
close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate;
or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; --
distinguished from wide; as ē (ēve) and &oomac;
(f&oomac;d), etc., from &ibreve; (&ibreve;ll) and &oocr; (f&oocr;t),
etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.
&fist; Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words,
especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of
obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow-
brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow-
faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow-
pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc.
Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note
under Gauge, n., 6.
Nar"row (?), n.; pl.
Narrows (&?;). A narrow passage; esp., a
contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two
bodies of water; -- usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of
New York harbor.
Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a
dangerous
narrow.
Gladstone.
Nar"row, v. t. [imp. & p.
p. Narrowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n.
Narrowing.] [AS. nearwian.] 1. To
lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass;
to reduce the width or extent of. Sir W. Temple.
2. To contract the reach or sphere of; to
make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict;
as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a
question in discussion.
Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we
confine ourselves to our own solitary reasonings.
I.
Watts.
3. (Knitting) To contract the size of,
as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.
Nar"row, v. i. 1.
To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the
sea narrows into a strait.
2. (Man.) Not to step out enough to
the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows.
Farrier's Dict.
3. (Knitting) To contract the size of
a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into
one.
Nar"row*er (?), n. One who, or
that which, narrows or contracts. Hannah More.
Nar"row*ing, n. 1.
The act of contracting, or of making or becoming less in breadth
or extent.
2. The part of a stocking which is
narrowed.
Nar"row*ly, adv. [AS.
nearulice.] 1. With little breadth; in a
narrow manner.
2. Without much extent;
contractedly.
3. With minute scrutiny; closely; as, to look
or watch narrowly; to search narrowly.
4. With a little margin or space; by a small
distance; hence, closely; hardly; barely; only just; -- often with
reference to an avoided danger or misfortune; as, he narrowly
escaped.
5. Sparingly; parsimoniously.
Nar"row-mind`ed (?), a. Of narrow
mental scope; illiberal; mean. -- Nar"row-
mind`ed*ness, n.
Nar"row*ness, n. [AS. nearunes.]
The condition or quality of being narrow.
Nart (?). [For ne art.] Art not. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
||Nar"thex (?), n. [L., giant fennel,
Gr. &?;.] 1. (Bot.) A tall umbelliferous
plant (Ferula communis). See Giant fennel, under
Fennel.
2. (Arch.) The portico in front of
ancient churches; sometimes, the atrium or outer court surrounded by
ambulatories; -- used, generally, for any vestibule, lobby, or outer
porch, leading to the nave of a church.
Nar"wal (?), n. (Zoöl.)
See Narwhal.
Nar"we (?), a. Narrow.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Nar"whal (?), n. [Sw. or Dan.
narvhal; akin to Icel. nāhvalr, and E.
whale. the first syllable is perh. from Icel. nār
corpse, dead body, in allusion to the whitish color its skin. See
Whale.] [Written also narwhale.] (Zoöl.)
An arctic cetacean (Monodon monocerous), about twenty
feet long. The male usually has one long, twisted, pointed canine
tooth, or tusk projecting forward from the upper jaw like a horn,
whence it is called also sea unicorn, unicorn fish, and
unicorn whale. Sometimes two horns are developed, side by
side.
Nas (näz). [For ne was.] Was not.
[Obs.] Chaucer.
Nas. [Contr. fr. ne has.] Has not.
[Obs.] Spenser.
Na"sal (nā"zal), a. [F.,
from L. nasus the nose. See Nose.] 1.
(Anat.) Of or pertaining to the nose.
2. (Phon.) Having a quality imparted
by means of the nose; and specifically, made by lowering the soft
palate, in some cases with closure of the oral passage, the voice
thus issuing (wholly or partially) through the nose, as in the
consonants m, n, ng (see Guide to
Pronunciation, §§ 20, 208); characterized by resonance
in the nasal passage; as, a nasal vowel; a nasal
utterance.
Nasal bones (Anat.), two bones of the
skull, in front of the frontals. -- Nasal
index (Anat.), in the skull, the ratio of the
transverse the base of the aperture to the nasion, which latter
distance is taken as the standard, equal to 100.
Na"sal, n. 1. An
elementary sound which is uttered through the nose, or through both
the nose and the mouth simultaneously.
2. (Med.) A medicine that operates
through the nose; an errhine. [Archaic]
3. (Anc. Armor) Part of a helmet
projecting to protect the nose; a nose guard.
4. (Anat.) One of the nasal
bones.
5. (Zoöl.) A plate, or scale, on
the nose of a fish, etc.
Na*sal"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F.
nasalité.] The quality or state of being
nasal.
Na`sal*i*za"tion (?), n. The act
of nasalizing, or the state of being nasalized.
Na"sal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. &
p. p. Nasalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Nasalizing (?).] To render nasal, as sound;
to insert a nasal or sound in.
Na"sal*ize, v. t. To utter words
or letters with a nasal sound; to speak through the nose.
Na"sal*ly, adv. In a nasal manner;
by the nose.
Nas"cal (?), n. [F. nascale.]
(Med.) A kind of pessary of medicated wool or cotton,
formerly used.
Nas"cen*cy (?), n. [L.
nascentia. See Nascent.] State of being nascent;
birth; beginning; origin.
Nas"cent (?), a. [L. nascens,
-entis, p. pr. nasci to be born. See Nation, and
cf. Naissant.] 1. Commencing, or in
process of development; beginning to exist or to grow; coming into
being; as, a nascent germ.
Nascent passions and anxieties.
Berkley.
2. (Chem.) Evolving; being evolved or
produced.
Nascent state (Chem.), the supposed
instantaneous or momentary state of an uncombined atom or radical
just separated from one compound acid, and not yet united with
another, -- a hypothetical condition implying peculiarly active
chemical properties; as, hydrogen in the nascent state is a
strong reducer.
Nase"ber`ry (?), n. [Sp. nispero
medlar and naseberry tree, fr. L. mespilus. See
Medlar.] (Bot.) A tropical fruit. See
Sapodilla. [Written also nisberry.]
Nash (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain.]
Firm; stiff; hard; also, chilly. [Prov. Eng.]
Halliwell.
Nas`i*cor"nous (?), a. [L. nasus
nose + cornu horn: cf. F. nasicorne.]
(Zoöl.) Bearing a horn, or horns, on the nose, as
the rhinoceros.
Nas"i*form (?), a. [L. nasus
nose + -form. See Nose, and cf. Nariform.]
Having the shape of a nose.
||Na*si*on (?), n. [NL., fr. L.
nasus nose.] (Anat.) The middle point of the
nasofrontal suture.
Na"so- (&?;). [L. nasus nose.] (Anat.)
A combining form denoting pertaining to, or connected
with, the nose; as, nasofrontal.
Na"so*buc"cal (?), a. [Naso +
buccal.] (Anat.) Connected with both the nose and
the mouth; as, the nasobuccal groove in the skate.
Na`so*fron"tal (?), a. [Naso- +
frontal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the nose and
the front of the head; as, the embryonic nasofrontal process
which forms the anterior boundary of the mouth.
Na`so*lach"ry*mal (?), a. [Naso-
+ lachrymal.] (Anat.) Connected with the lachrymal
apparatus and the nose; as, the nasolachrymal, or lachrymal
duct.
{ Na`so*pal"a*tal (?), Na`so*pal"a*tine (?) },
a. [Naso- + palatal.] (Anat.)
Connected with both the nose and the palate; as, the
nasopalatine or incisor, canal connecting the mouth and the
nasal chamber in some animals; the nasopalatine
nerve.
Na`so*phar`yn*ge"al (? or &?;), a.
[Naso- + pharyngeal.] (Anat.) Of or
pertaining to both throat and nose; as, a nasopharyngeal
polypus.
Na`so*sep"tal (?), a. [Naso- +
septal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the
internasal septum.
Na`so*tur"bi*nal (?), a. [Naso-
+ turbinal.] (Anat.) Connected with, or near, both
the turbinal and the nasal bones; as, the nasalturbinal bone,
made up of the uppermost lammelæ of the ethmoturbinal, and
sometimes united with the nasal. -- n.
The nasoturbinal bone.
Nas"sa (?), n.; pl. E.
Nassas (#), L. NassÆ (#).
[From L. nassa a kind of basket, in allusion to the
reticulation of some species.] (Zoöl.) Any species
of marine gastropods, of the genera Nassa, Tritia, and
other allied genera of the family Nassidæ; a dog whelk.
See Illust. under Gastropoda.
-- nas"soid (#), a.
Nas"ti*ly (?), adv. In a nasty
manner.
Nas"ti*ness, n. The quality or
state of being nasty; extreme filthness; dirtiness; also, indecency;
obscenity.
The nastiness of Plautus and
Aristophanes.
Dryden.
Nas*tur"tion (?), n. [See
Nasturtium.] (Bot.) Same as
Nasturtium.
Nas*tur"tium (?), n. [L.
nasturtium, for nasitortium, fr. nasus nose +
torquere, tortum, to twist, torture, in allusion to the
causing one to make a wry face by its pungent taste. See Nose
of the face, and Torture.] 1. (Bot.)
A genus of cruciferous plants, having white or yellowish
flowers, including several species of cress. They are found chiefly
in wet or damp grounds, and have a pungent biting taste.
2. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus
Tropæolum, geraniaceous herbs, having mostly climbing
stems, peltate leaves, and spurred flowers, and including the common
Indian cress (Tropæolum majus), the canary-bird flower
(T. peregrinum), and about thirty more species, all natives of
South America. The whole plant has a warm pungent flavor, and the
fleshy fruits are used as a substitute for capers, while the leaves
and flowers are sometimes used in salads.
Nas"ty (?), a.
[Compar. Nastier (&?;);
superl. Nastiest.] [For older nasky;
cf. dial. Sw. naskug, nasket.] 1.
Offensively filthy; very dirty, foul, or defiled; disgusting;
nauseous.
2. Hence, loosely: Offensive; disagreeable;
unpropitious; wet; drizzling; as, a nasty rain, day,
sky.
3. Characterized by obscenity; indecent;
indelicate; gross; filthy.
Syn. -- Nasty, Filthy, Foul,
Dirty. Anything nasty is usually wet or damp as well as
filthy or dirty, and disgusts by its stickiness or odor; but
filthy and foul imply that a thing is filled or covered
with offensive matter, while dirty describes it as defiled or
sullied with dirt of any kind; as, filthy clothing,
foul vapors, etc.
Na"sute (?), a. [L. nasutus, fr.
nasus the nose.] 1. Having a nice sense
of smell. [Obs.] Evelyn.
2. Critically nice; captious. [Obs.]
auden.
Na"sut*ness, n. Quickness of
scent; hence, nice discernment; acuteness. [Obs.] Dr. H.
More.
Nat (?), adv. Not. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Nat [For ne at.] Not at; nor at. [Obs.]
haucer.
Na"tal (?), a. [L. natalis, fr.
natus, p. p. of nasci to be born: cf. F. natal.
See Nation, and cf. Noel.] 1. Of
or pertaining to one's birth; accompying or dating from one's birth;
native.
Princes' children took names from their natal
places.
Camden.
Propitious star, whose sacred power
Presided o'er the monarch's natal hour.
Prior.
2. (Actrol.) Presiding over nativity;
as, natal Jove.
Syn. -- Native, natural. See Native.
{ Na`ta*li"tial (?), Na`ta*li"tious (?) },
a. [L. natalitius, from natalis. See
Natal.] Of or pertaining to one's birth or birthday, or
one's nativity. [Obs.] "Natalitial poplar."
Evelyn. "Natalitious fire." W. Cartwright.
Na*tal"o*in (?), n. [From Natal
aloes.] (Chem.) A bitter crystalline substance
constituting the essential principle of Natal aloes. Cf.
Aloon.
Na*tal" plum` (?). (Bot.) The drupaceous
fruit of two South African shrubs of the genus Arduina (A.
bispinosa and A. grandiflora).
Na"tals (?), n. pl. One's birth,
or the circumstances attending it. [Obs.] Fitz-
Geffry.
Na"tant (?), a. [L. natans, -
antis, from swim, v. intens. fr. nare to swim: cf. F.
natant.] 1. (Bot.) Floating in
water, as the leaves of water lilies, or submersed, as those of many
aquatic plants.
2. (Her.) Placed horizontally across
the field, as if swimming toward the dexter side; said of all sorts
of fishes except the flying fish.
Na"tant*ly (?), adv. In a floating
manner; swimmingly.
Na*ta"tion (?), n. [L. natatio,
fr. natare to swim: cf. F. natation. See
Natant.] The act of floating on the water;
swimming. Sir T. Browne.
||Na`ta*to"res (?), n. pl. [L.
natator a swimmer.] (Zoöl.) The swimming
birds.
&fist; They were formerly united into one order, which is now
considered an artificial group.
Na`ta*to"rial (?), a. Inclined or
adapted to swim; swimming; as, natatorial birds.
Na`ta*to"ri*ous (?), a.
(Zoöl.) Adapted for swimming; -- said of the legs of
certain insects.
||Na`ta*to"rium (?), n. [L.] A
swimming bath.
Na"ta*to*ry (?), a. [L.
natatorius.] Adapted for swimming or floating; as,
natatory organs.
Natch (?), n. [OF. nache fesse,
LL. natica, from L. natis the rump, buttocks. Cf.
Aitchbone.] The rump of beef; esp., the lower and back
part of the rump.
Natch bone, the edgebone, or aitchbone, in
beef.
Natch"ez (?), n. pl. (Ethnol.)
A tribe of Indians who formerly lived near the site of the city
of Natchez, Mississippi. In 1729 they were subdued by the French; the
survivors joined the Creek Confederacy.
Natch"nee (?), n. (Bot.) An
annual grass (Eleusine coracona), cultivated in India as a
food plant.
||Na"tes (?), n. pl. [L., the
buttocks.] 1. (Anat.) (a)
The buttocks. (b) The two anterior of
the four lobes on the dorsal side of the midbrain of most mammals;
the anterior optic lobes.
2. (Zoöl.) The umbones of a
bivalve shell.
Nath (?). [Contr. fr. ne hath,] hath
not. [Obs.]
Nath"less (?), adv. [OE.
natheles, na the les, not the less, AS. nā
never. See Na, The, conj., and cf.
Nevertheless.] Nevertheless. [Archaic] Chaucer.
Milton. E. Arnold.
Nath"more` (?), adv. [OE. na the
more.] Not the more; never the more. [Obs.]
penser.
Nat"i*ca (?), n.; pl.
Naticas (&?;), L. NaticÆ (-
sē). (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of
marine gastropods belonging to Natica, Lunatia,
Neverita, and other allied genera (family
Naticidæ.) They burrow beneath the sand, or mud, and
drill other shells.
Nat"i*coid (?), a. [Natica +
-oid.] (Zoöl.) Like or belonging to Natica,
or the family Naticidæ.
Na"tion (?), n. [F. nation, L.
natio nation, race, orig., a being born, fr. natus, p.
p. of nasci, to be born, for gnatus, gnasci,
from the same root as E. kin. √44. See Kin
kindred, and cf. Cognate, Natal, Native.]
1. (Ethnol.) A part, or division, of the
people of the earth, distinguished from the rest by common descent,
language, or institutions; a race; a stock.
All nations, and kindreds, and people, and
tongues.
Rev. vii. 9.
2. The body of inhabitants of a country,
united under an independent government of their own.
A nation is the unity of a people.
Coleridge.
Praise the power that hath made and preserved us a
nation.
F. S. Key.
3. Family; lineage. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
4. (a) One of the divisions
of university students in a classification according to nativity,
formerly common in Europe. (b) (Scotch
Universities) One of the four divisions (named from the
parts of Scotland) in which students were classified according to
their nativity.
5. A great number; a great deal; -- by way of
emphasis; as, a nation of herbs. Sterne.
Five nations. See under Five. --
Law of nations. See International law,
under International, and Law.
Syn. -- people; race. See People.
Na"tion*al (?; 277), a. [Cf. F.
national.] 1. Of or pertaining to a
nation; common to a whole people or race; public; general; as, a
national government, language, dress, custom, calamity,
etc.
2. Attached to one's own country or
nation.
National anthem, a popular song or hymn
which has become by general acceptance the recognized musical
expression of the patriotic sentiment of a nation; as, "God save the
King" is called the national anthem of England. --
National bank, the official common name of a
class of banking corporations established under the laws of the
United States. -- National flag. See under
Flag. -- National guard, a body of
militia, or a local military organization, as in Paris during the
French Revolution, or as certain bodies of militia in other European
countries and in the United States. -- National
salute, a salute consisting of as many guns as there
are States in the Union. [U.S.]
Na"tion*al*ism (?), n.
1. The state of being national; national
attachment; nationality.
2. An idiom, trait, or character peculiar to
any nation.
3. National independence; the principles of
the Nationalists.
Na"tion*al*ist, n. One who
advocates national unity and independence; one of a party favoring
Irish independence.
Na`tion*al"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Nationalities (#). [Cf. F.
nationalité.] 1. The quality of
being national, or strongly attached to one's own nation;
patriotism.
2. The sum of the qualities which distinguish
a nation; national character.
3. A race or people, as determined by common
language and character, and not by political bias or divisions; a
nation.
the fulfillment of his mission is to be looked for in
the condition of nationalities and the character of
peoples.
H. W. Beecher.
4. Existence as a distinct or individual
nation; national unity and integrity.
5. The state or quality of belonging to or
being connected with a nation or government by nativity, character,
ownership, allegiance, etc.
Na`tion*al*i*za"tion (?), n. The
act of nationalizing, or the state of being nationalized.
Na"tion*al*ize (?), v. t. [imp.
& p. p. Nationalized (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Nationalizing (?).] [Cf. F. nationaliser.]
To make national; to make a nation of; to endow with the
character and habits of a nation, or the peculiar sentiments and
attachment of citizens of a nation.
Na"tion*al*ly, adv. In a national
manner or way; as a nation. "The jews . . . being
nationally espoused to God by covenant." South.
Na"tion*al*ness, n. The quality or
state of being national; nationality. Johnson.
Na"tive (?), a. [F. natif, L.
nativus, fr. nasci, p. p. natus. See
Nation, and cf. Naïve, Nelf a serf.]
1. Arising by birth; having an origin;
born. [Obs.]
Anaximander's opinion is, that the gods are
native, rising and vanishing again in long periods of
times.
Cudworth.
2. Of or pertaining to one's birth; natal;
belonging to the place or the circumstances in which one is born; --
opposed to foreign; as, native land, language, color,
etc.
3. Born in the region in which one lives; as,
a native inhabitant, race; grown or originating in the region
where used or sold; not foreign or imported; as, native
oysters, or strawberries.
4. Original; constituting the original
substance of anything; as, native dust.
Milton.
5. Conferred by birth; derived from origin;
born with one; inherent; inborn; not acquired; as, native
genius, cheerfulness, simplicity, rights, etc.
Courage is native to you.
Jowett (Thucyd. ).
6. Naturally related; cognate; connected
(with). [R.]
the head is not more native to the heart, . . .
Than is the throne of Denmark to thy father.
Shak.
7. (Min.) (a) Found in
nature uncombined with other elements; as, native
silver. (b) Found in nature; not
artificial; as native sodium chloride.
Native American party. See under
American, a. -- Native
bear (Zoöl.), the koala. --
Native bread (Bot.), a large underground
fungus, of Australia (Mylitta australis), somewhat resembling
a truffle, but much larger. -- Native devil.
(Zoöl.) Same as Tasmanian devil, under
Devil. -- Native hen
(Zoöl.), an Australian rail (Tribonyx
Mortierii). -- Native pheasant.
(Zoöl.) See Leipoa. -- Native
rabbit (Zoöl.), an Australian marsupial
(Perameles lagotis) resembling a rabbit in size and form.
-- Native sloth (Zoöl.), the
koala. -- Native thrush (Zoöl.),
an Australian singing bird (Pachycephala olivacea); --
called also thickhead. -- Native turkey
(Zoöl.), the Australian bustard (Choriotis
australis); -- called also bebilya.
Syn. -- Natural; natal; original; congential. --
Native, Natural, Natal. natural refers to
the nature of a thing, or that which springs therefrom;
native, to one's birth or origin; as, a native country,
language, etc.; natal, to the circumstances of one's birth;
as, a natal day, or star. Native talent is that which
is inborn; natural talent is that which springs from the
structure of the mind. Native eloquence is the result of
strong innate emotion; natural eloquence is opposed to that
which is studied or artificial.
Na"tive (?), n. 1.
One who, or that which, is born in a place or country referred
to; a denizen by birth; an animal, a fruit, or vegetable, produced in
a certain region; as, a native of France.
2. (Stock Breeding) Any of the live
stock found in a region, as distinguished from such as belong to pure
and distinct imported breeds. [U.S.]
Na"tive*ly, adv. By natural or
original condition; naturally; originally.
Na"tive*ness, n. The quality or
state of being native.
Na"tiv*ism (?), n. 1.
The disposition to favor the native inhabitants of a country, in
preference to immigrants from foreign countries.
2. (Philos.) The doctrine of innate
ideas, or that the mind possesses forms of thought independent of
sensation.
Na"tiv*ist (?), n. An advocate of
nativism.
Na`tiv*is"tic (?), a. Relating to
nativism.
Na*tiv"i*ty (?), n.; pl.
Nativies (#). [F. nativité, L.
nativitas. See Native, and cf.
NaïvetÉ.] 1. The coming into
life or into the world; birth; also, the circumstances attending
birth, as time, place, manner, etc. Chaucer.
I have served him from the hour of my
nativity.
Shak.
Thou hast left . . . the land of thy
nativity.
Ruth ii. 11.
These in their dark nativity the deep
Shall yield us, pregnant with infernal flame.
Milton.
2. (Fine Arts) A picture representing
or symbolizing the early infancy of Christ. The simplest form is the
babe in a rude cradle, and the heads of an ox and an ass to express
the stable in which he was born.
3. (Astrol.) A representation of the
positions of the heavenly bodies as the moment of one's birth,
supposed to indicate his future destinies; a horoscope.
The Nativity, the birth or birthday of
Christ; Christmas day. -- To cast, or
calculate, one's nativity
(Astrol.), to find out and represent the position of the
heavenly bodies at the time of one's birth.
Nat"ka (?), a. (Zoöl.)
A species of shrike.
Na"tri*um (?), n. [NL. See
Natron.] (Chem.) The technical name for
sodium.
Na"tro*lite (?; 277), n. [Natron
+ -lite: cf. F. natrolithe.] (Min.) A
zeolite occuring in groups of glassy acicular crystals, and in masses
which often have a radiated structure. It is a hydrous silicate of
alumina and soda.
Na"tron (?), n. [F., fr. Sp.
natron, Ar. natrūn, nitrūn. Cf.
Niter, Anatron.] (Min.) Native sodium
carbonate. [Written also anatron.]
Nat"ter (?), v. i. [Cf. Icel.
knetta to grumble.] To find fault; to be peevish.
[Prov. Eng. or Scot.]
Nat"ter*jack` (?), n.
(Zoöl.) A European toad (Bufo calamita),
having a yellow line along its back.
Nat"ty (?), a. [Cf. Neat clean.]
Neat; tidy; spruce. [Colloq.]
-- Nat"ti*ly, adv. --
Nat"ti*ness, n.
Nat"u*ral (?; 135), a. [OE.
naturel, F. naturel, fr. L. naturalis, fr.
natura. See Nature.] 1. Fixed or
determined by nature; pertaining to the constitution of a thing;
belonging to native character; according to nature; essential;
characteristic; not artificial, foreign, assumed, put on, or
acquired; as, the natural growth of animals or plants; the
natural motion of a gravitating body; natural strength
or disposition; the natural heat of the body; natural
color.
With strong natural sense, and rare force of
will.
Macaulay.
2. Conformed to the order, laws, or actual
facts, of nature; consonant to the methods of nature; according to
the stated course of things, or in accordance with the laws which
govern events, feelings, etc.; not exceptional or violent;
legitimate; normal; regular; as, the natural consequence of
crime; a natural death.
What can be more natural than the circumstances
in the behavior of those women who had lost their husbands on this
fatal day?
Addison.
3. Having to do with existing system to
things; dealing with, or derived from, the creation, or the world of
matter and mind, as known by man; within the scope of human reason or
experience; not supernatural; as, a natural law;
natural science; history, theology.
I call that natural religion which men might
know . . . by the mere principles of reason, improved by
consideration and experience, without the help of
revelation.
Bp. Wilkins.
4. Conformed to truth or reality; as:
(a) Springing from true sentiment; not
artificial or exaggerated; -- said of action, delivery, etc.; as, a
natural gesture, tone, etc. (b)
Resembling the object imitated; true to nature; according to the
life; -- said of anything copied or imitated; as, a portrait is
natural.
5. Having the character or sentiments
properly belonging to one's position; not unnatural in
feelings.
To leave his wife, to leave his babes, . . .
He wants the natural touch.
Shak.
6. Connected by the ties of
consanguinity. "Natural friends." J. H.
Newman.
7. Begotten without the sanction of law; born
out of wedlock; illegitimate; bastard; as, a natural
child.
8. Of or pertaining to the lower or animal
nature, as contrasted with the higher or moral powers, or that which
is spiritual; being in a state of nature; unregenerate.
The natural man receiveth not the things of the
Spirit of God.
1 Cor. ii. 14.
9. (Math.) Belonging to, to be taken
in, or referred to, some system, in which the base is 1; -- said or
certain functions or numbers; as, natural numbers, those
commencing at 1; natural sines, cosines, etc., those taken in
arcs whose radii are 1.
10. (Mus.) (a)
Produced by natural organs, as those of the human throat, in
distinction from instrumental music. (b)
Of or pertaining to a key which has neither a flat nor a sharp
for its signature, as the key of C major. (c)
Applied to an air or modulation of harmony which moves by easy
and smooth transitions, digressing but little from the original
key. Moore (Encyc. of Music).
Natural day, the space of twenty-four
hours. Chaucer.
-- Natural fats, Natural gas,
etc. See under Fat, Gas. etc. --
Natural Harmony (Mus.), the harmony of
the triad or common chord. -- Natural history,
in its broadest sense, a history or description of nature as a
whole, incuding the sciences of botany, zoölogy,
geology, mineralogy, paleontology,
chemistry, and physics. In recent usage the term is
often restricted to the sciences of botany and zoölogy
collectively, and sometimes to the science of zoology alone. --
Natural law, that instinctive sense of justice
and of right and wrong, which is native in mankind, as distinguished
from specifically revealed divine law, and formulated human law.
-- Natural modulation (Mus.), transition
from one key to its relative keys. -- Natural
order. (Nat. Hist.) See under order.
-- Natural person. (Law) See under
person, n. -- Natural
philosophy, originally, the study of nature in general;
in modern usage, that branch of physical science, commonly called
physics, which treats of the phenomena and laws of matter and
considers those effects only which are unaccompanied by any change of
a chemical nature; -- contrasted with mental and moral
philosophy. -- Natural scale
(Mus.), a scale which is written without flats or
sharps. Model would be a preferable term, as less likely
to mislead, the so-called artificial scales (scales
represented by the use of flats and sharps) being equally natural
with the so-called natural scale -- Natural
science, natural history, in its broadest sense; --
used especially in contradistinction to mental or moral
science. -- Natural selection
(Biol.), a supposed operation of natural laws analogous,
in its operation and results, to designed selection in breeding
plants and animals, and resulting in the survival of the
fittest. The theory of natural selection supposes that this has
been brought about mainly by gradual changes of environment which
have led to corresponding changes of structure, and that those forms
which have become so modified as to be best adapted to the changed
environment have tended to survive and leave similarly adapted
descendants, while those less perfectly adapted have tended to die
out though lack of fitness for the environment, thus resulting in the
survival of the fittest. See Darwinism. --
Natural system (Bot. & Zoöl.), a
classification based upon real affinities, as shown in the structure
of all parts of the organisms, and by their embryology.
It should be borne in mind that the natural
system of botany is natural only in the constitution of its
genera, tribes, orders, etc., and in its grand
divisions.
Gray.
-- Natural theology, or Natural
religion, that part of theological science which treats
of those evidences of the existence and attributes of the Supreme
Being which are exhibited in nature; -- distinguished from
revealed religion. See Quotation under Natural,
a., 3. -- Natural vowel, the
vowel sound heard in urn, furl, sir, her,
etc.; -- so called as being uttered in the easiest open position of
the mouth organs. See Neutral vowel, under Neutral and
Guide to Pronunciation, § 17.
Syn. -- See Native.
Nat"u*ral (?; 135), n.
1. A native; an aboriginal. [Obs.] Sir
W. Raleigh.
2. pl. Natural gifts, impulses,
etc. [Obs.] Fuller.
3. One born without the usual powers of
reason or understanding; an idiot. "The minds of
naturals." Locke.
4. (Mus.) A character [♮] used
to contradict, or to remove the effect of, a sharp or flat which has
preceded it, and to restore the unaltered note.
Nat"u*ral*ism (?), n. [Cf. F.
naturalisme.] 1. A state of nature;
conformity to nature.
2. (Metaph.) The doctrine of those who
deny a supernatural agency in the miracles and revelations recorded
in the Bible, and in spiritual influences; also, any system of
philosophy which refers the phenomena of nature to a blind force or
forces acting necessarily or according to fixed laws, excluding
origination or direction by one intelligent will.
Nat"u*ral*ist, n. [Cf. F.
naturaliste.] 1. One versed in natural
science; a student of natural history, esp. of the natural history of
animals.
2. One who holds or maintains the doctrine of
naturalism in religion. H. Bushnell.
Nat`u*ral*is"tic (?), a.
1. Belonging to the doctrines of
naturalism.
2. Closely resembling nature;
realistic. "Naturalistic bit of pantomime." W. D.
Howells.
Nat`u*ral"i*ty (?), n. [L.
naturalitas: cf. F. naturalité.] Nature;
naturalness. [R.]
Nat`u*ral*i*za"tion (?), n. [Cf. F.
naturalisation.] The act or process of naturalizing, esp.
of investing an alien with the rights and privileges of a native or
citizen; also, the state of being naturalized.
Nat"u*ral*ize (?; 135), v. t.
[imp. & p. p. Naturalized (#); p.
pr. & vb. n. Naturalizing (#).] [Cf. F.
naturaliser. See Natural.] 1. To
make natural; as, custom naturalizes labor or study.
2. To confer the rights and privileges of a
native subject or citizen on; to make as if native; to adopt, as a
foreigner into a nation or state, and place in the condition of a
native subject.
3. To receive or adopt as native, natural, or
vernacular; to make one's own; as, to naturalize foreign
words.
4. To adapt; to accustom; to habituate; to
acclimate; to cause to grow as under natural conditions.
Its wearer suggested that pears and peaches might yet
be naturalized in the New England climate.
Hawthorne.
Nat"u*ral*ize, v. i. 1.
To become as if native.
2. To explain phenomena by natural agencies
or laws, to the exclusion of the supernatural.
Infected by this naturalizing
tendency.
H. Bushnell.
Nat"u*ral*ly, adv. In a natural
manner or way; according to the usual course of things;
spontaneously.
Nat"u*ral*ness, n. The state or
quality of being natural; conformity to nature.
Na"ture (?; 135), n. [F., fr. L.
natura, fr. natus born, produced, p. p. of nasci
to be born. See Nation.] 1. The existing
system of things; the world of matter, or of matter and mind; the
creation; the universe.
But looks through nature up to nature's
God.
Pope.
Nature has caprices which art can not
imitate.
Macaulay.
2. The personified sum and order of causes
and effects; the powers which produce existing phenomena, whether in
the total or in detail; the agencies which carry on the processes of
creation or of being; -- often conceived of as a single and separate
entity, embodying the total of all finite agencies and forces as
disconnected from a creating or ordering intelligence.
I oft admire
How Nature, wise and frugal, could commit
Such disproportions.
Milton.
3. The established or regular course of
things; usual order of events; connection of cause and
effect.
4. Conformity to that which is natural, as
distinguished from that which is artificial, or forced, or remote
from actual experience.
One touch of nature makes the whole world
kin.
Shak.
5. The sum of qualities and attributes which
make a person or thing what it is, as distinct from others; native
character; inherent or essential qualities or attributes; peculiar
constitution or quality of being.
Thou, therefore, whom thou only canst redeem,
Their nature also to thy nature join,
And be thyself man among men on earth.
Milton.
6. Hence: Kind, sort; character;
quality.
A dispute of this nature caused
mischief.
Dryden.
7. Physical constitution or existence; the
vital powers; the natural life. "My days of nature."
Shak.
Oppressed nature sleeps.
Shak.
8. Natural affection or reverence.
Have we not seen
The murdering son ascend his parent's bed,
Through violated nature foce his way?
Pope.
9. Constitution or quality of mind or
character.
A born devil, on whose nature
Nurture can never stick.
Shak.
That reverence which is due to a superior
nature.
Addison.
Good nature, Ill nature.
see under Good and Ill. -- In a state
of nature. (a) Naked as when born;
nude. (b) In a condition of sin;
unregenerate. (c) Untamed; uncvilized.
-- Nature printng, a process of printing from
metallic or other plates which have received an impression, as by
heavy pressure, of an object such as a leaf, lace, or the like.
-- Nature worship, the worship of the
personified powers of nature. -- To pay the debt of
nature, to die.
Na"ture, v. t. To endow with
natural qualities. [Obs.]
He [God] which natureth every
kind.
Gower.
Na"tured (?; 135), a. Having
(such) a nature, temper, or disposition; disposed; -- used in
composition; as, good-natured, ill-natured,
etc.
Na"ture*less (?), a. Not in
accordance with nature; unnatural. [Obs.] Milton.
Na"tur*ism (?), n. (Med.)
The belief or doctrine that attributes everything to nature as a
sanative agent.
Na"tur*ist, n. One who believes
in, or conforms to, the theory of naturism. Boyle.
Na*tu"ri*ty (?), n. The quality or
state of being produced by nature. [Obs.] Sir T.
Browne.
Na"tur*ize (?), v. t. To endow
with a nature or qualities; to refer to nature. [Obs.] B.
Jonson.
Nau"frage (?; 48), n. [F., fr. L.
naufragium; navis + frangere.] Shipwreck;
ruin. [Obs.] acon.
Nau"fra*gous (?), a. [L.
naufragus. See Naufrage.] causing shipwreck.
[Obs.] r. Taylor.
Naught (?), n. [OE. naught,
nought, naht, nawiht, AS. n&?;wiht,
n&?;uht, n&?;ht; ne not + &?; ever + wiht
thing, whit; hence, not ever a whit. See No,
adv. Whit, and cf. Aught,
Not.] 1. Nothing. [Written also
nought.]
Doth Job fear God for naught?
Job i. 9.
2. The arithmetical character 0; a cipher.
See Cipher.
To set at naught, to treat as of no account;
to disregard; to despise; to defy; to treat with ignominy. "Ye
have set at naught all my counsel." Prov. i. 25.
Naught, adv. In no degree; not at
all. Chaucer.
To wealth or sovereign power he naught
applied.
Fairfax.
Naught, a. 1. Of
no value or account; worthless; bad; useless.
It is naught, it is naught, saith the
buyer.
Prov. xx. 14.
Go, get you to your house; begone, away!
All will be naught else.
Shak.
Things naught and things
indifferent.
Hooker.
2. Hence, vile; base; naughty.
[Obs.]
No man can be stark naught at
once.
Fuller.
Naugh"ti*ly (?), adv. In a naughty
manner; wickedly; perversely. Shak.
Naugh"ti*ness, n. The quality or
state of being naughty; perverseness; badness; wickedness.
I know thy pride, and the naughtiness of thine
heart.
1 Sam. xvii. 28.
Naught"ly (?), adv. Naughtily;
wrongly. [Obs.]
because my parents naughtly brought me
up.
Mir. for Mag.
Naugh"ty (?), a.
[Compar. Naughtier (?);
superl. Naughtiest.] 1.
Having little or nothing. [Obs.]
[Men] that needy be and naughty, help them with
thy goods.
Piers Plowman.
2. Worthless; bad; good for nothing.
[Obs.]
The other basket had very naughty
figs.
Jer. xxiv. 2.
3. hence, corrupt; wicked.
[Archaic]
So shines a good deed in a naughty
world.
Shak.
4. Mischievous; perverse; froward; guilty of
disobedient or improper conduct; as, a naughty
child.
&fist; This word is now seldom used except in the latter sense, as
applied to children, or in sportive censure.
Nau"ma*chy (?), n. [L.
naumachia, Gr. &?;; &?; ship + &?; fight, battle, &?; to
fight.] 1. A naval battle; esp., a mock sea
fight.
2. (Rom. Antiq.) A show or spectacle
representing a sea fight; also, a place for such
exhibitions.
||Nau"pli*us (?), n.; pl.
Nauplii (#). [L., a kind of shellfish, fr. Gr. &?;
ship + &?; to sail.] (Zoöl.) A crustacean larva
having three pairs of locomotive organs (corresponding to the
antennules, antennæ, and mandibles), a median eye, and little
or no segmentation of the body.
Nau`ro*pom"e*ter (?), n. [Gr. &?; ship
+ &?; inclination + -meter.] (Naut.) An instrument
for measuring the amount which a ship heels at sea.
Naus"co*py (?), n. [Gr. &?; ship + -
scopy: cf. F. nauscopie.] (Naut.) The power or
act of discovering ships or land at considerable distances.
Nau"se*a (? or &?;), n. [L., fr. Gr.
&?;, fr. &?; ship. See Nave of a church, and cf.
Noise.] Seasickness; hence, any similar sickness of the
stomach accompanied with a propensity to vomit; qualm; squeamishness
of the stomach; loathing.
Nau"se*ant (?), n. [L. nauseans,
p. pr. Of nauseare.] (Med.) A substance which
produces nausea.
Nau"se*ate (?), v. i. [imp. &
p. p. Nauseated (?); p. pr. & vb.
n. Nauseating.] [L. nauseare,
nauseatum, fr. nausea. See Nausea.] To
become squeamish; to feel nausea; to turn away with
disgust.
Nau"se*ate, v. t. 1.
To affect with nausea; to sicken; to cause to feel loathing or
disgust.
2. To sicken at; to reject with disgust; to
loathe.
The patient nauseates and loathes wholesome
foods.
Blackmore.
Nau`se*a"tion (?), n. The act of
nauseating, or the state of being nauseated.
Nau"se*a*tive (? or &?;), a.
Causing nausea; nauseous.
Nau"seous (?; 277), a. [L.
nauseosus.] Causing, or fitted to cause, nausea;
sickening; loathsome; disgusting; exciting abhorrence; as, a
nauseous drug or medicine. -- Nau"seous*ly,
adv. -- Nau"seous*ness,
n.
The nauseousness of such company disgusts a
reasonable man.
Dryden.
||Nautch (?), n. [Hind.
nāch, fr. Skr. n&rsdot;tya dance.] An
entertainment consisting chiefly of dancing by professional dancing
(or Nautch) girls. [India]
Nau"tic (?), a. [See Nautical.]
Nautical.
Nau"tic*al (?), a. [L. nauticus,
Gr. naytiko`s, fr. nay`ths a seaman, sailor,
fr. nay^s ship: cf. F. nautique. See Nave of
a church.] Of or pertaining to seamen, to the art of navigation,
or to ships; as, nautical skill.
Syn. -- Naval; marine; maritime. See Nava
