The Gutenberg Webster's Unabridged Dictionary
Chapter 1035
Ni*lot"ic (?) , a. [L. Niloticus , fr. Nilus th Nile, Gr. <?/: cf. F. nilotique .] Of or pertaining to the river Nile; as, the Nilotic crocodile .
Nilt <Xpage=976>
Nilt (?) . [Contr. fr. ne wilt .] Wilt not. [Obs.]
Nim <Xpage=976>
Nim (?) , v. t. [ imp. Nam (?) or Nimmed (<?/) ; p. p. Nomen (?) or Nome (<?/) .] [AS. niman . &root; 7. Cf. Nimble .] To take; to steal; to filch. [Obs.]
This canon it in his hand nam . Chaucer.
Nimbiferous <Xpage=976>
Nim*bif"er*ous (?) , a. [L. nimbifer ; nimbus a cloud + ferre to bear.] Serving to bring clouds or stormy weather.
Nimble <Xpage=976>
Nim"ble (?) , a. [ Compar. Nimbler (?) ; superl. Nimblest (?) .] [OE. nimel , prob. orig., quick at seizing, fr. nimen to take, AS. niman ; akin to D. nemen , G. nehmen , OHG. neman , Icel. nema , Goth. nima, and prob. to Gr. <?/ to distribute. &root; 7. cf. Nomand , Numb .] Light and quick in motion; moving with ease and celerity; lively; swift.
Through the mid seas the nimble pinnace sails. Pope.
&hand; Nimble is sometimes used in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, nimble -footed, nimble -pinioned, nimble -winged, etc.
Nimble Will (Bot.) , a slender, branching, American grass ( Muhlenbergia diffusa ), of some repute for grazing purposes in the Mississippi valley.
Syn. -- Agile; quick; active; brisk; lively; prompt.
Nimbleness <Xpage=976>
Nim"ble*ness , n. The quality of being nimble; lightness and quickness in motion; agility; swiftness.
Nimbless <Xpage=976>
Nim"bless (?) , n. Nimbleness. [Obs.]
Spenser.
Nimbly <Xpage=976>
Nim"bly , adv. In a nimble manner; with agility; with light, quick motion.
Nimbose <Xpage=976>
Nim*bose" (?) , a. [L. nimbosus, fr. nimbus cloud.] Cloudy; stormy; tempestuous.
Nimbus <Xpage=976>
Nim"bus (?) , n. ; pl. L. Nimbi (#) , E. Nimbuses (#) . [L., a rain storm, a rain cloud, the cloudshaped which enveloped the gods when they appeared on earth.] 1. (Fine Arts) A circle, or disk, or any indication of radiant light around the heads of divinities, saints, and sovereigns, upon medals, pictures, etc.; a halo. See Aureola , and Glory , n. , 5.
&hand; "The nimbus is of pagan origin." "As an atribute of power , the nimbus is often seen attached to the heads of evil spirits."
Fairholl.
2. (Meteor.) A rain cloud; one of the four principal varieties of clouds. See Cloud .
Nimiety <Xpage=976>
Ni*mi"e*ty (?) , n. [L. nimietas , fr. nimius , a., nimis , adv., too much.] State of being in excess. [R.]
There is a nimiety , a too-muchess, in all Germans. Coleridge.
Nimious <Xpage=976>
Nim"i*ous (?) , a. [L. nimius .] Excessive; extravagant; inordinate. [Obs.]
Nimmer <Xpage=976>
Nim"mer (?) , n. [From Nim .] A thief. [Obs.]
Nin <Xpage=976>
Nin (?) . [Fr. ne in .] Not in. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Nincompoop <Xpage=976>
Nin"com*poop (?) , n. [A corruption of non compos .] A fool; a silly or stupid person. [Law]
An old ninnyhammer, a dotard, a nincompoop , is the best language she can afford me. Addison.
Nine <Xpage=976>
Nine (?) , a. [OE. nine , nihen , AS. nigon , nigan ; akin to D. & LG. negen , OS. & OFries. nigun , OHG. niun , G. neun , Icel. n\'c6u , sw. nio , Dan. ni , Goth. niun , Ir. & Gael. naoi , W. naw , L. novem , gr. <?/, Skr. navan ; of unknown origin. <?/ 307. Cf. Novembeer .] Eight and one more; one less than ten; as, nine miles .
Nine men's morris . See Morris . -- Nine points circle (Geom.) , a circle so related to any given triangle as to pass through the three points in which the perpendiculars from the angles of the triangle upon the opposite sides (or the sides produced) meet the sides. It also passes through the three middle points of the sides of the triangle and through the three middle points of those parts of the perpendiculars that are between their common point of meeting and the angles of the triangle. The circle is hence called the nine points ∨ six points circle .
Nine <Xpage=976>
Nine , n. 1. The number greater than eight by a unit; nine units or objects.
2. A symbol representing nine units, as 9 or ix.
The Nine , the nine Muses.
Nine-bark <Xpage=976>
Nine"-bark` (?) , n. (Bot.) A white-flowered rosaceous shrub ( Neillia, ∨ Spir\'91a, opulifolia ), common in the Northern United States. The bark separates into many thin layers, whence the name.
Nine-eyes <Xpage=976>
Nine"-eyes` (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The lamprey.
Ninefold <Xpage=976>
Nine"fold` (?) , a. Nine times repeated.
Nineholes <Xpage=976>
Nine"holes` (?) , n. pl. A game in which nine holes are made in the ground, into which a ball is bowled.
Nine-killer <Xpage=976>
Nine"-kill`er (?) , n. [So called because it is believed to kill and impale on thorns nine birds, etc., in succession.] (Zo\'94l.) The northern butcher bird.
Ninepence <Xpage=976>
Nine"pence (?) , n. ; pl. Ninepences (<?/) . 1. An old English silver coin, worth nine pence.
2. A New England name for the Spanish real, a coin formerly current in the United States, as valued at twelve and a half cents.
Ninepins <Xpage=976>
Nine"pins (?) , n. pl. A game played with nine pins, or pieces of wood, set on end, at which a wooden ball is bowled to knock them down; bowling.
&hand; In the United States, ten pins are used for this game, which is therefore often called tenpins .
Ninescore <Xpage=976>
Nine"score` (?) , a. Nine times twenty, or one hundred and eighty. -- n. The product of nine times twenty; ninescore units or objects.
Nineteen <Xpage=976>
Nine"teen` (?) , a. [AS. nigont<?/ne , nigont<?/ne . See Nine , and Ten .] Nine and ten; eighteen and one more; one less than twenty; as, nineteen months .
Nineteen <Xpage=976>
Nine"teen` , n. 1. The number greater than eighteen by a unit; the sum of ten and nine; nineteen units or objects.
2. A symbol for nineteen units, as 19 or xix.
Nineteenth <Xpage=976>
Nine"teenth` (?) , a. [Cf. AS. nigonte\'a2<?/a .] 1. Following the eighteenth and preceding the twentieth; coming after eighteen others.
2. Constituting or being one of nineteen equal parts into which anything is divided.
Nineteenth <Xpage=976>
Nine"teenth` , n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by nineteen; one of nineteen equal parts of anything.
2. The next in order after the eighteenth.
3. (Mus.) An interval of two octaves and a fifth.
Ninetieth <Xpage=976>
Nine"ti*eth (?) , a. 1. Next in order after the eighty-ninth.
2. Constituting or being one of ninety equal parts.
Ninetieth <Xpage=976>
Nine"ti*eth , n. 1. The quotient of a unit divided by ninety; one of ninety equal parts of anything.
2. The next in order after the eighty-ninth.
Ninety <Xpage=976>
Nine"ty (?) , a. [See Nine , and cf. Forty .] Nine times ten; eighty-nine and one more; as, ninety men .
Ninety <Xpage=976>
Nine"ty , n. ; pl. Nineties (<?/) . 1. The sum of nine times ten; the number greater by a unit than eighty-nine; ninety units or objects.
2. A symbol representing ninety units, as 90 or xc.
Ninny <Xpage=976>
Nin"ny (?) , n. ; pl. Ninnies (#) . [Cf. It. ninno , ninna , a baby, Sp. ni\'a4o , ni\'a4a , child, infant, It. ninna , ninna nanna , lullably, prob. fr. ni , na , as used in singing a child to sleep.] A fool; a simpleton.
Shak.
Ninnyhammer <Xpage=976>
Nin"ny*ham`mer (?) , n. A simpleton; a silly person. [Colloq.]
Addison.
Ninth <Xpage=976>
Ninth (?) , a. [From Nine ; cf. AS. nigo&edh;a .] 1. Following the eight and preceding the tenth; coming after eight others.
2. Constituting or being one of nine equal parts into which anything is divided.
Ninth <Xpage=976>
Ninth , n. 1. The quotient of one divided by nine; one of nine equal parts of a thing; the next after the eighth.
2. (Mus.) (a) An interval containing an octave and a second. (b) A chord of the dominant seventh with the ninth added.
Ninthly <Xpage=976>
Ninth"ly , adv. In the ninth place.
Ninut <Xpage=976>
Nin"ut (?) , n. (Zo\'94l.) The magpie. [Prov. Eng.]
Niobate <Xpage=976>
Ni"o*bate (?) , n. [See Niobium .] (Chem.) Same as Columbate .
Niobe <Xpage=976>
Ni"o*be (?) , n. [L. Nioba , Niobe , gr. <?/.] (Class, Myth.) The daughter of Tantalus, and wife of Amphion, king of Thebes. Her pride in her children provoked Apollo and Diana, who slew them all. Niobe herself was changed by the gods into stone.
Niobic <Xpage=976>
Ni*ob"ic (?) , a. (Chem.) Same as Columbic .
Niobite <Xpage=976>
Ni"o*bite (?) , n. (Min.) Same as Columbite .
Niobium <Xpage=976>
Ni*o"bi*um (?) , n. [NL., fr. L. & E. Niobe .] (Chem.) A later name of columbium. See Columbium .
Niopo <Xpage=976>
Ni*o"po (?) , n. A kind of snuff prepared by the natives of Venezuela from the roasted seeds of a leguminous tree ( Piptadenia peregrina ), thence called niopo tree .
Nip <Xpage=976>
Nip (?) , n. [LG. & D. nippen to sip; akin to Dan. nippe , G. nippen .] A sip or small draught; esp., a draught of intoxicating liquor; a dram.
Nip <Xpage=976>
Nip , v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Nipped (?) , less properly Nipt ; p. pr. & vb. n. Nipping (?) .] [OE. nipen ; cf. D. niipen to pinch, also knippen to nip, clip, pinch, snap, knijpen to pinch, LG. knipen , G. kneipen , kneifen , to pinch, cut off, nip, Lith. knebti .] 1. To catch and inclose or compress tightly between two surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed; to pinch; to close in upon.
May this hard earth cleave to the Nadir hell, Down, down, and close again, and nip me flat, If I be such a traitress. Tennyson.
2. To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting edges of anything; to clip.
The small shoots ... must be nipped off. Mortimer.
3. Hence: To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy.
4. To vex or pain, as by nipping; hence, to taunt.
And sharp remorse his heart did prick and nip . Spenser.
To nip in the bud , to cut off at the verycommencement of growth; to kill in the incipient stage.
Nip <Xpage=976>
Nip , n. 1. A seizing or closing in upon; a pinching; as, in the northern seas, the nip of masses of ice .
2. A pinch with the nails or teeth.
3. A small cut, or a cutting off the end.
4. A blast; a killing of the ends of plants by frost.
5. A biting sarcasm; a taunt.
Latimer.
6. (Naut.) A short turn in a rope.
Nip and tuck , a phrase signifying equality in a contest. [Low, U.S.]
Nipper <Xpage=976>
Nip"per (?) , n. 1. One who, or that which, nips.
2. A fore tooth of a horse. The nippers are four in number.
3. A satirist. [Obs.]
Ascham.
4. A pickpocket; a young or petty thief. [Old Cant]
5. (Zo\'94l.) (a) The cunner. (b) A European crab ( Polybius Henslowii ).
Nipperkin <Xpage=976>
Nip"per*kin , n. [See 1st Nip .] A small cup. [Obs.]
Nippers <Xpage=976>
Nip"pers (?) , n. pl. [From 2d Nip .] 1. Small pinchers for holding, breaking, or cutting.
2. (Mach.) A device with fingers or jaws for seizing an object and holding or conveying it; as, in a printing press, a clasp for catching a sheet and conveying it to the form.
3. (Naut.) A number of rope-yarns wound together, used to secure a cable to the messenger.
Nipping <Xpage=976>
Nip"ping (?) , a. Biting; pinching; painful; destructive; as, a nipping frost; a nipping wind.
Nippingly <Xpage=976>
Nip"ping*ly , adv. In a nipping manner.
Nippitate <Xpage=976>
Nip"pi*tate (?) , a. [Cf. 1st Nip .] Peculiary strong and good; -- said of ale or liquor. [Old Cant]
'T will make a cup of wine taste nippitate . Chapman.
Nippitato <Xpage=976>
Nip`pi*ta"to (?) , n. Strong liquor. [Old Cant]
Beau. & Fl.
Nipple <Xpage=976>
Nip"ple (?) , n. [Formerly neble , a dim. of neb . See Neb , Nib .] 1. (Anat.) The protuberance through which milk is drawn from the breast or mamma; the mammilla; a teat; a pap.
2. The orifice at which any animal liquid, as the oil from an oil bag, is discharged. [R.]
Derham.
3. Any small projection or article in which there is an orifice for discharging a fluid, or for other purposes; as, the nipple of a nursing bottle; the nipple of a percussion lock, or that part on which the cap is put and through which the fire passes to the charge.
4. (Mech.) A pipe fitting, consisting of a short piece of pipe, usually provided with a screw thread at each end, for connecting two other fittings.
Solder nipple , a short pipe, usually of brass, one end of which is tapered and adapted for attachment to the end of a lead pipe by soldering.
<page="977"> Page 977
Nipplewort <Xpage=977>
Nip"ple*wort` (?) , n. (Bot.) A yellow-flowered composite herb ( Lampsana communis ), formerly used as an external application to the nipples of women; -- called also dock-cress .
Nirvana <Xpage=977>
Nir*va"na (?) , n. [Skr. nirv\'be&nsdot;a .] In the Buddhist system of religion, the final emancipation of the soul from transmigration, and consequently a beatific enfrachisement from the evils of wordly existence, as by annihilation or absorption into the divine. See Buddhism .
Nis <Xpage=977>
Nis (?) . [From ne is .] Is not. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Nisan <Xpage=977>
Ni"san (?) , n. [Heb. n\'c6s\'ben .] The first month of the jewish ecclesiastical year, formerly answering nearly to the month of April, now to March, of the Christian calendar. See Abib .
Nisey <Xpage=977>
Ni"sey (?) , n. ; pl. Nyseys . A simpleton. [Obs.]
Nisi <Xpage=977>
Ni"si (?) , conj. [L.] Unless; if not. <-- Law -->
&hand; In legal proceedings, this word is used to indicate that any order, etc., shall take effect at a given time, unless before that time the order, etc., in modified, or something else is done to prevent its taking effect. Continuance nisi is a conditional continuance of the case till the next term of the court, unless otherwise disposed of in the mean time.
Nisi prius (Law) , unless before; -- a phrase applied to terms of court, held generally by a single judge, with a jury, for the trial of civil causes. The term originated in a legal fiction. An issue of fact being made up, it is, according to the English practice, appointed by the entry on the record, or written proceedings, to be tried by a jury from the county of which the proceedings are dated, at Westminster, unless before the day appointed ( nisi prius ) the judges shall have come to the county in question (which they always do) and there try the cause. See In banc , under Banc .
Niste <Xpage=977>
Nis"te (?) . [Contr. from ne wiste .] Wist not; knew not. [Obs.]
Chaucer.
Nisus <Xpage=977>
Ni"sus (?) , n. [L., fr. niti , p.p. nisus , to strive.] A striving; an effort; a conatus.
A nisus or energizing towards a presented object. Hickok.
Nit <Xpage=977>
Nit (?) , n. [AS. hnitu ; akin to D. neet , G. niss , OHG. niz ; cf. gr. <?/, <?/, Icel. gnit , Sw. gnet , Dan. gnid , Russ. & Pol. gnida , Bohem. hnida, W. nedd .] (Zo\'94l.) The egg of a louse or other small insect.
Nit grass (Bot.) , a pretty annual European grass ( Gastridium lendigerum ), with small spikelets somewhat resembling a nit. It is also found in California and Chili.
Nitency <Xpage=977>
Ni"ten*cy (?) , n. [L. nitens , p.pr. of nitere to shine.] Brightness; luster. [R.]
Nitency <Xpage=977>
Ni"ten*cy , n. [From :. nitens , p.pr. pf niti to strive.] Endeavor; rffort; tendency. [R.]
Boyle.
Niter, Nitre <Xpage=977>
Ni"ter , Ni"tre (?) , n. [F. nitre , L. nitrum native soda, natron, Gr. <?/; cf. Ar. nit<?/n , natr<?/n natron. Cf. Natron .] 1. (Chem.) A white crystalline semitransparent salt; potassium nitrate; saltpeter. See Saltpeter .
2. (Chem.) Native sodium carbonate; natron. [Obs.]
For though thou wash thee with niter , and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me. Jer. ii. 22.
Cubic niter , a deliquescent salt, sodium nitrate, found as a native incrustation, like niter, in Peru and Chili, whence it is known also as Chili saltpeter . -- Niter bush (Bot.) , a genus ( Nitraria ) of thorny shrubs bearing edible berries, and growing in the saline plains of Asia and Northern Africa.
Nithing <Xpage=977>
Nith"ing (?) , n. [Obs.] See Niding .
Nitid <Xpage=977>
Nit"id (?) , a. [L. nitidus , fr. nitere . See 3d Neat .] 1. Bright; lustrous; shining. [R.]
Boyle.
2. Gay; spruce; fine; -- said of persons. [R.]
T. Reeve.
Nitranilic <Xpage=977>