Dictionary
An American Dictionary of the English Language
Revised and enlarged (Goodrich & Porter)
Springfield, Mass. · G. & C. Merriam · 1865
- Entries
- 95,912
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Look up a word as the writers of the time used it.
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…Nĭc'ti-tā'tion, n. p. 885The act of winking.Nĭd'a-mĕn'tal, a. p. 885Bearing or pertaining to eggs or young; as, the nidamental bags or aggregated capsules produced by some mollusks. R. Owen.Nī'da-ry, n. p. 885A collection of nests. [Obs. and rare.] In this rupellary nidary, does the female lay eggs and breed. Evelyn.Nīde, n. p. 885A nestful; a brood; as, a nide of pheasants. [Obs.]Nī'der-ing, a. p. 885Infamous; dastardly. “On pain of being held faithless, man-sworn, and nidering.” W. Scott.Nĭdġ'er-y, n. p. 885A trifle; foolery. Skinner.Nĭdġ'et, n. p. 885A fool; an idiot; a coward; dastard. [Obs.] Camden.Nĭd'i-fi-cāte, v. i. p. 885To make a nest. [Rare.]Nĭd'i-fi-cā'tion, n. p. 885The act or operation of building a nest, and the hatching and feeding of young.Nī'ding, n. p. 885A despicable coward; a dastard. [Obs.]Nī'dor, n. p. 885Scent; savor. [Obs.]Nĭ'dor-ōse', a. p. 885The same as NIDOROUS.Nĭ'dor-ŏs'i-ty, n. p. 885Eructation with the taste of undigested roast meat. [Obs.] Floyer.Nĭ'dor-oŭs, a. p. 885Resembling the smell or taste of roasted meat. [Obs.] Bacon.Nid'ū-lant, a. p. 885(Bot.) Nestling; lying loose in pulp or cotton, within a berry or pericarp.Nid'ū-lāte, v. i. p. 885To make a nest, as a bird; to nidificate. [Rare.]Nid'ū-lā'tion, n. p. 885The time of remaining in the nest, as of a bird. [Rare.] Browne.Nī'dus, n. p. 885A repository for the eggs of birds, insects, and the like; a nest.Niēce, n. p. 885Formerly, a relative in general, as an aunt; but especially a descendant, whether male or female. [Obs.] B. Jonson. Wycliffe. Shak. 2. The daughter of a brother or sister. ☞ “This word . . . is now…Niēf, n. p. 885See NEAF.Nĭ-ĕl'lo, n. p. 885A style of ornamentation applied to metal before the invention of engraving. The process consisted in drawing upon gold, silver, &c., a design, which was then cut out with a pointed instrument, and…Nĭf'le, n. p. 885A trifle. [Obs.] Chaucer.Nĭ-ġĕl'lȧ, n. p. 885(Bot.) A genus of plants; fennel-flower;—so called from its black seeds. Gray.Nĭg'gard, n. p. 885A person meanly close and covetous; a sordid wretch who saves every cent, or spends grudgingly; a miser. Serve him as a grudging master, As a penurious niggard of his wealth. Milton. Be niggards of…Nīg'gard, a. p. 885Meanly covetous; sordidly parsimonious; miserly. Nor rude is he, Nor niggard of his cheer. Byron. 2. Sparing; wary; chary.Nig'gard, v. t. p. 885To stint; to supply sparingly. [Rare.] Shak.Nĭg'gard-īse, n. p. 885Niggardliness. [Obs.] Spenser.Nĭg'gard-ĭsh, a. p. 885Somewhat covetous or niggardly.Nĭg'gard-li-ness, n. p. 885The state of being niggardly; mean covetousness; sordid parsimony; extreme avarice manifested in sparing expense. Niggardliness is not good husbandry. Addison.Nĭg'gard-ly, a. p. 885Meanly covetous or avaricious in dealing with others; sordidly parsimonious; extremely sparing of expense. Where the owner of the house will be bountiful, it is not for the steward to be niggardly.…Nig'gard-ly, adv. p. 885With cautious parsimony; sparingly.