Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
- Pages
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- 2,133
Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
News, n. p. 884Recent account; fresh information of something that has lately taken place, or of something before unknown; tidings. It is no news for the weak and poor to be a prey to the strong and rich.…News'boy, n. p. 884A boy who carries and delivers newspapers.News'-lēt'ter, n. p. 884A letter sent for the purpose of conveying news.News'mŏn'ger, n. p. 884One who deals in news; one who employs much time in hearing and telling news.News'-pā-per, n. p. 884A sheet of paper printed and distributed, at short intervals, for conveying intelligence of passing events; a public print that circulates news, advertisements, proceedings of legislative bodies…News'-room, n. p. 884A room for the reading of magazines, newspapers, &c.News'-vĕnd'er, n. p. 884A seller of newspapers.Newt, n. p. 884A small lizard; an eft.New-tō'ni-an, a. p. 884Pertaining to Sir Isaac Newton, or formed or discovered by him. Newtonian philosophy, the philosophy of Sir Isaac Newton;—a term used either of the doctrine of the universe as expounded in Newton's…New-tō'ni-an, n. p. 884A follower of Newton in philosophy.New'-yēar, a. p. 884Of, or pertaining to, the commencement of the year; as, new-year gifts.New'-yēar's-dāy', n. p. 884The first day of the year; the day on which the year commences; the first day of January;—often colloquially abbreviated to new-year's, or new-year.New-Zēa'land Flāx' p. 884A plant (the Phormium tenax) the leaf of which furnishes a fine, strong fiber, very valuable for cordage, and the like. (b.) The fiber itself.New-Zēa'land Tēa' p. 884A plant of the genus Leptospermum, found in New Zealand and Australia, the leaves of some species of which are sometimes used as a substitute for tea. Baird.Nĕx'i-ble, a. p. 884Admitting of being knit together.Nĕxt, a. p. 884superl. of nigh. [A-S. nēxta, nyxta, nēsta, nēhsta, nyhsta, neáhsta, M. H. Ger. nāhest, nēhist, nāhist, nāhest, nāhst, nächst, nēst, N. H. Ger. nächst, D. naast, Sw. näste, Dan. näst.] 1. Nearest in…Nĕxt, adv. p. 884At the time or turn nearest or immediately succeeding; as, it is not material who follows next.Nĕx'us, n. p. 884Connection; tie. Man is doubtless one by some subtile nexus that we can not perceive, extending from the new-born infant to the superannuated dotard. De Quincey.Nī'as, n. p. 884<br>1. A young hawk; an eyas.<br>2. A simpleton; a greenhorn. B. Jonson.Nib, n. p. 884Something small and pointed; a point; a prong. In the little nib or fructifying principle, the motion is regular. Browne. 2. Specifically, (a.) The bill or beak of a bird; the neb. (b.) The point of…Nib, v. t. p. 884To furnish with a nib; to point. 2. To cut off the point of; as, to nib a pen.Nibbed, a. p. 884Having a nib or point.Nĭb'ble, v. t. p. 884To bite by little at a time; to eat slowly, or in small bits. “Thy turfy mountains, where live nibbling sheep.” Shak.Nĭb'ble, v. i. p. 884To bite; as, fishes nibble at the bait. 2. To carp; to find fault; to censure little faults. Instead of returning a full answer to my book, he manifestly nibbles at a single passage. Tillotson.Nĭb'ble, n. p. 884A little bite, or seizing to bite.Nib'bler, n. p. 884One that bites a little at a time; a carper.Nib'bling-ly, adv. p. 884In a nibbling manner.Nic/a-ra'guā Wood p. 884A dye-wood, supposed to be a species of Hæmatoxylon, brought from Nicaragua, and used in dyeing red. It resembles Brazil-wood in color, but is much lighter, and yields less coloring matter. Ure.Nice, a. p. 884Pleasing to the senses, especially to the taste; delicate; tender; dainty; as, a nice dish or bit. 2. Hence, in a colloquial use, and more generally, serving to please; agreeable; gratifying…Nîce'ly, adv. p. 885In a nice or delicate manner; delicately; daintily; accurately; exactly. 2. Well; cleverly; dexterously; handsomely; in the best manner; as, a feat is nicely done. [Colloq.]Nī'cēne or Nī-cēne', a. p. 885Of, or pertaining to, Nice, a town of Asia Minor. Nicene creed (Theol.), a summary of Christian faith, composed by the council of Nice, against Arianism, A. D. 325, altered and confirmed by the…Nīce'ness, n. p. 885The quality of being nice; pleasantness to the sense; delicacy of perception; minute exactness; accuracy; as, niceness of taste, of work, of texture. Where's now the labored niceness in thy dress?…Nîç'er-y, n. p. 885Nicety; daintiness; affectation of delicacy. [Rare.] Chapman.Nîç'e-ty, n. p. 885The quality of being nice; delicacy; daintiness; as, (a.) Delicate management; exactness in treatment. Love such nicety requires. One blast will put out all his fires. Swift. (b.) Delicacy of…Nîche, n. p. 885A cavity, hollow, or recess, generally within the thickness of a wall, for a statue, bust, or other erect ornament. “Images defended from the injuries of the weather by niches of stone wherein they…Nîchĕd, a. p. 885Placed in a niche. “Those niched shapes of noble mold.” Tennyson.Nîck, n. p. 885(Northern Myth.) An evil spirit of the waters; hence, the modern vulgar phrase, Old Nick, the evil one; the devil.Nick, n. p. 885A notch cut into something; hence, a score for keeping an account; a reckoning. 2. (Print.) A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in distributing the different sizes in…Nĭck, v. t. p. 885To cut in nicks or notches; to make a nick or nicks in; to notch; as, to nick a stick, tally, &c. Scarce lacked that thunderbolt of the falling beam, Which nicked me on the forehead as I passed. E.…Nĭck, n. p. 885A hit; a fortunate conjuncture; the exact point or time; a winning throw. “To cut it off in the very nick.” Howell. This nick of time is the critical occasion for the gaining of a point. L’Estrange.Nĭck, v. t. p. 885To hit; to touch luckily; to strike at the precise point or time. The just season of doing things must be nicked, and all accidents improved. L’Estrange. 2. Hence, to make a hit at; to gain an…Nĭck'ar-tree, n. p. 885(Bot.) A tree of the genus Guilandina, which grows in the East and West Indies, and bears a small, hard nut, of the size of a small nutmeg;—called also bonduc. [Written also nicker-tree and…Nĭck'el, n. p. 885(Min.) A grayish-white metal of considerable luster, very malleable and ductile, occurring very generally in combination with arsenic, and found also in meteoric stones. It is used in coloring glass…Nick-ĕl'ic, a. p. 885Pertaining to, or containing, nickel.Nĭck'el-ĭf'er-oŭs, a. p. 885Containing nickel; as, nickeliferous iron.Nĭck'er, n. p. 885One who watches for opportunities to pilfer, or practice knavery. [Cant.] Arbuthnot.Nĭck'er-tree, n. p. 885See NICKAR-TREE.Nĭck'năck, n. p. 885A small thing; a bawble; a trifle;—used chiefly in the plural. See KNICKKNACK.Nick-năck'er-y, n. p. 885A bawble; a trifle; a nick-nack or knickknack.Nĭck'nāme, n. p. 885A name given in contempt, derision, or sportive familiarity; an opprobrious or familiar appellation.Nĭck'nāme, v. t. p. 885To give a name of reproach or familiarity to; to call by an opprobrious or familiar appellation. You nickname virtue vice. Shak.Nĭc'o-lā'i-tan, n. p. 885(Eccl. Hist.) One of certain corrupt persons in the early church at Ephesus, who are censured in Rev. ii., but of whom little can be ascertained with certainty.Nĭ-cō'tian, a. p. 885Pertaining to, or denoting, tobacco;—so called from Nicot, who first introduced it into France, A. D. 1560.Nĭ-cō'tian, n. p. 885Tobacco. [Rare.] B. Jonson.Nĭ-cō'ti-ā'nȧ, n. p. 885(Bot.) A genus of plants, including tobacco.Nĭ-cō'ti-a-nīne, n. p. 885(Chem.) A concrete or solid oil obtained from tobacco. It smells like tobacco smoke, tastes bitterish and slightly aromatic, and is eminently poisonous. Tully.Nĭc'o-tīne, n. p. 885(Chem.) An oily, limpid, colorless liquid, obtained from nicotianine, having a weak taste of tobacco, and eminently poisonous. [Written also nicotin.]Nĭc'tāte, v. i. p. 885To wink.Nic-tā'tion, n. p. 885The act of winking.Nĭc'ti-tāte, v. i. p. 885To wink; to nictate. Nictitating membrane, a thin membrane at the inner angle of the eye, capable of being drawn across the ball beneath the lid, as in birds and some ruminant animals; the third…