N

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, n. (Print.) A measure of space equal to half an M (or em); an en.

Na

Na (?), a. & adv. No, not. See No. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nab

Nab (?), 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

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.

Nabit

Na"bit (?), n. Pulverized sugar candy. Crabb.

Nabk

Nabk (?), 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.

Nabob

Na"bob (?), n. [Hind. nawāb, from Ar. nawāb, pl. of nā\'8bb 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.

Nacarat

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.

Nacker

Nack"er (?), n. See Nacre. Johnson.

Nacre

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.

Nacre-ous

Na"cre-ous (?), a. [See Nacre.] (Zoöl.) Consisting of, or resembling, nacre; pearly.

Nad, Nadde

Nad (?), Nad"de (?). [Contr. fr. ne hadde.] Had not. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Nadder
Nad"der (?), n. [AS.nædre. See Adder.] An adder. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Nadir
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.
Nænia
Næ"ni*a (?), n. See Nenia.
Næve
Næve (?), n. [L. naevus.] A nævus. [Obs.] Dryden.
Nævoid
Næ"void (?), a. [Nævus + -oid.] Resembling a nævus or nævi; as, nævoid elephantiasis. Dunglison.
Nævose
Næ"vose` (?), a. Spotted; frecled.
Navus
Na"vus (?), 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
Nag (?), 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
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.
Nagging
Nag"ging (?), a. Fault-finding; teasing; persistently annoying; as, a nagging toothache. [Colloq.]
Naggy
Nag"gy (?) a. Irritable; touchy. [Colloq.]
Nagor
Na"gor (?), n. (Zoöl.) A West African gazelle (Gazella redunca).
Nagyag-ite
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.
Naiad
Na"iad (?), n. [L. naias, -adis, na\'8bs, -idis, a water nymph, Gr , , fr. to flow: cf. F. na\'8bade. 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.
Naiant
Na"iant (?), a. (Her.) See Natant. Crabb.
Naid
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\'8bf
Na"\'8bf` (; formerly ), a. [F. na\'8bf. See Na\'8bve.]
1. Having a true natural luster without being cut; -- applied by jewelers to a precious stone.
2. Na\'8bve; as, a na\'8bf remark. London Spectator.
Naik
Na"ik (?), n. [Hind. nāyak.] A chief; a leader; a Sepoy corporal. Balfour (Cyc. of India).
Nail
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.
&hand; 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. &hand; 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), 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
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 ∨ 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.
Nailbrush
Nail"brush`, n. A brush for cleaning the nails.
Nailer
Nail"er (?), n.
1. One whose occupation is to make nails; a nail maker.
2. One who fastens with, or drives, nails.
Naileress
Nail"er*ess, n. A women who makes nailes.
Nailery
Nail"er*y (?), n.; pl. Naileries (). A manufactory where nails are made.
Nail-headed
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.
Nailless
Nail"less, a. Without nails; having no nails.
Nainsook
Nain`sook" (?), n. [Nainsukh, a valley in Kaghan.] A thick sort of jaconet muslin, plain or striped, formerly made in India.
Nais
Na"is (?), n. [L., a naiad.] (Zoöl.) See Naiad.
Naissant
Nais`sant" (?), a. [F., p. pr. of na\'8ctre to be born, L. nasci.] (Her.) Same as Jessant.
Na\'8bve
Na"\'8bve` (?), a. [F. na\'8bf, fem. na\'8bve, fr. L. nativus innate, natural, native. See Native, and cf. Na\'8bf.] Having native or unaffected simplicity; ingenuous; artless; frank; as, na\'8bve manners; a na\'8bve person; na\'8bve and unsophisticated remarks.
Na\'8bvely
Na"\'8bve`ly (?), adv. In a na\'8bve manner.
Na\'8bveté
Na`\'8bve`té" (?), n. [F. See Na\'8bve, and cf. Nativity.] Native simplicity; unaffected plainness or ingenuousness; artlessness.
A story which pleases me by its na\'8bveté -- that is, by its unconscious ingenuousness. De Quincey.

Na\'8bvety
Na"\'8bve`ty (?), n. Na\'8bveté. Carlyle.
Nake
Nake (?),v.t. To make naked. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Come, be ready, nake your swords. Old Play.

Naked
Na"ked (?), a. [AS. nacod; akin to D. naakt, G. nackt, OHG. nacchot, nahhot, Icel. nökvir, nakinn, Sw. naken, Dan. nögen, Goth. naqas, Lith. ngas, Russ. nagii, L. nudus, Skr. nagna. &root;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.<-- = open fourth, 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.
Nakedly
Na"ked*ly, adv. In a naked manner; without covering or disguise; manifestly; simply; barely.
Nakedness
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.

Naker
Na"ker (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Nacre.
Naker
Na"ker, n. [OE. nakere, F. nakaire, LL. nacara, Per. naqāret.] A kind of kettledrum. [Obs.] Chaucer.
Nakoo
Na"koo (?), n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) The gavial. [Written also nako.]
Nale
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
Nall (?), n. [Either fr. Icel. nāl (see Needle); or fr. awl, like newt fr. ewt.] An awl. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Tusser.
Nam
Nam (?). [Contr. fr. ne am.] Am not. [Obs.]
Nam
Nam, obs. imp. of Nim. Chaucer.
Namable
Nam"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being named.
Namation
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.
Namaycush
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.
Namby-pamby
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.
Namby-pamby
Nam"by-pam`by, a. Affectedly pretty; weakly sentimental; finical; insipid. Thackeray.
Namby-pamby madrigals of love. W. Gifford.