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Amer. American. Ar. Arabic. A.S. Anglo-Saxon. Austr. Australian. Bav. Bavarian. Beng. Bengali. Bohem. Bohemian. Braz. Brazilian. Bret. Breton. Carib. Caribbean. Celt. Celtic. Chal. Chaldean. Chin. Chinese. Corn. Cornish. Dan. Danish. Dut. Dutch. Egypt. Egyptian. Eng. English. Finn. Finnish. Flem. Flemish. Fr. French. Fris. Frisian. Gael. Gaelic. Ger. German. Goth. Gothic. Gr. Greek. Heb. Hebrew. Hind. Hindustani. Hung. Hungarian. Ice. Icelandic. Ind. Indian. Ion. Ionic. Ir. Irish. It. Italian. Jap. Japanese. Jav. Javanese. L. Latin. Lith. Lithuanian. L. L. Low or Late Latin. M. E. Middle English. Mex. Mexican. Norm. Norman. Norw. Norwegian. O. Fr. Old French. Pers. Persian. Peruv. Peruvian. Pol. Polish. Port. Portuguese. Prov. Provençal. Rom. Romance. Russ. Russian Sans. Sanskrit. Scand. Scandinavian. Scot. Scottish. Singh. Singhalese. Slav. Slavonic. Sp. Spanish. Sw. Swedish. Teut. Teutonic. Turk. Turkish. U.S. United States. W. Welsh.

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CHAMBERS'S TWENTIETH CENTURY DICTIONARY.

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N the fourteenth letter and eleventh consonant of our alphabet, a nasal-dental: (chem.) the symbol for nitrogen: (math.) an indefinite constant whole number, esp. the degree of a quantic or an equation: as a numeral, formerly, N=90, and ([=N])=90,000.

NA, nä, a Scotch form of no.

NAB, nab, v.t. to seize suddenly:--pr.p. nab'bing; pa.p. nabbed. [Sw. nappa; Dan. nappe, to catch.]

NAB, nab, n. a hill-top: the projecting cavity fixed to the jamb of a door to receive the latch or bolt: (obs.) a hat. [For _knab_=_knap_.]

NABATÆAN, nab-a-t[=e]'an, adj. of or pertaining to a once powerful Arab people who formerly dwelt on the east and south-east of Palestine, identified by some with the Nebaioth of Isa. lx. 7, the Nabathites of 1 Maccab. v. 25.--Also NABATH[=E]'AN.

NABK, nabk, n. one of the plants in the crown of thorns (Zizyphus Spina-Christi). [Prob. Ar.]

NABOB, n[=a]'bob, n. a deputy or governor under the Mogul Empire: a European who has enriched himself in the East: any man of great wealth. [Corr. of Hind. nawwâb, a deputy, from Ar. naww[=a]b, pl. (used as sing.) of n[=a]ib, a deputy.]

NACARAT, nak'a-rat, n. a light-red colour, scarlet: a fabric of this colour. [Fr.]

NACKET, nak'et, n. (Scot.) a small cake, luncheon.

NACRE, n[=a]'kr, n. mother-of-pearl.--adj. iridescent.--adj. N[=A]'CREOUS, consisting of nacre: having a pearly lustre. [Fr.,--Ar. nak[=i]r, hollowed.]

NADIR, n[=a]'dir, n. the point of the heavens diametrically opposite to the zenith: the lowest point of anything. [Fr.,--Ar. naz[=i]r, from nazara, to be like.]

NÆVUS, n[=e]'vus, n. a birth-mark: a congenital growth strictly on a part of the skin, whether a pigmentary nævus or mole, or a vascular naevus or overgrowth of capillary blood-vessels--also Mother-spot or Birth-mark--also NÆVE, NEVE:--pl. NÆ'V[=I].--adjs. NÆ'VOID, NÆ'VOUS, NÆ'VOSE. [L.]

NAG, nag, n. a horse, but particularly a small one--(Scot.) NAIG: (Shak.) a jade. [M. E. nagge--Mid. Dut. negge, negghe (mod. Dut. negge); cf. _Neigh._]

NAG, nag, v.t. to worry or annoy continually: to tease or vex: to find fault with constantly:--pr.p. nag'ging; pa.p. nagged.--n. NAG'GER. [Cf. Gnaw.]

NAGA, nä'ga, n. the name of deified serpents in Hindu mythology.

NAGARI. See DEVA-NAGARI.

NAIAD, n[=a]'yad, n. a water-nymph or a goddess, presiding over rivers and springs:--pl. NAI'ADES. [L. and Gr. naias, naiados, from naein, to flow.]

NAIANT, n[=a]'yant, adj. floating: (her.) swimming, as a fish placed horizontally across a shield. [L. nans, nantis, pr.p. of nat[=a]re, to swim.]

NAÏF, nä-[=e]f', NAÏVE, nä-[=e]v', adj. with natural or unaffected simplicity, esp. in thought, manners, or speech: artless: ingenuous.--adv. NAÏVE'LY.--n. NAÏVETÉ (nä-[=e]v-t[=a]'), natural simplicity and unreservedness of thought, manner, or speech. [Fr. naïf, fem, naïve--L. nativus, native--nasci, natus, to be born.]

NAIL, n[=a]l, n. one of the flattened, elastic, horny plates placed as protective coverings on the dorsal surface of the terminal phalanges of the fingers and toes: the claw of a bird or other animal: a thin pointed piece of metal for fastening wood: a measure of length (2¼ inches):--v.t. to fasten with nails: to make certain: to confirm, pin down, hold fast: to catch or secure through promptitude; to trip up or expose.--ns. NAIL'-BRUSH, a small brush for cleaning the nails; NAIL'ER, one whose trade is to make nails; NAIL'ERY, a place where nails are made.--adj. NAIL'-HEAD'ED, having a head like that of a nail: formed like nail-heads, said of ornamental marks on cloth and on certain kinds of mouldings (dog-tooth).--n. NAIL'-ROD, a strip cut from an iron plate to be made into nails: a trade name for a strong kind of manufactured tobacco.--NAIL TO THE COUNTER, to expose publicly as false, from the habit of nailing a counterfeit coin to a shop counter.--DRIVE A NAIL IN ONE'S COFFIN (see COFFIN); HIT THE NAIL ON THE HEAD, to touch the exact point; ON THE NAIL, on the spot: immediately: without delay. [A.S. nægel; Ger. nagel.]

NAINSELL, n[=a]n'sel, n. own self--Highland Scotch.

NAINSOOK, n[=a]n's[=oo]k, n. a kind of muslin like jaconet, both plain and striped. [Hind.]

NAISSANT, n[=a]s'sant, adj. (her.) rising or coming forth, as an animal newly born or about to be born. [Fr., pr.p. of naître--L. nasci, natus, to be born.]

NAÏVE. See NAÏF.

NAKED, n[=a]'ked, adj. without clothes: uncovered: open to view: unconcealed: evident: unarmed: defenceless: unprovided: without addition or ornament: simple: artless: (bot.) without the usual covering.--adv. N[=A]'KEDLY.--n. N[=A]'KEDNESS.--NAKED EYE, the eye unassisted by glasses of any kind; NAKED LADY, the meadow-saffron.--STARK NAKED, entirely naked. [A.S. nacod; Ger. nackt.]

NAKER, n[=a]'ker, n. a kettledrum. [O. Fr.,--Ar.]

NAM, nam, n. an obsolete law term for distraint.--n. NAM[=A]'TION. [A.S. niman, pa.t. nam, to take.]

NAMBY-PAMBY, nam'bi-pam'bi, n. silly talking or writing.--adj. sentimental, affectedly pretty.--v.t. to coddle. [H. Carey's nickname for Ambrose Philips (1671-1749), from his childish odes to children.]

NAME, n[=a]m, n. that by which a person or a thing is known or called: a designation: that which is said of a person: reputed character: reputation: fame: celebrity: remembrance: a race or family: appearance, not reality: authority: behalf: assumed character of another: (gram.) a noun.--v.t. to give a name to: to designate: to speak of or to call by name: to mention for a post or office: to nominate: to mention formally by name a person in the House of Commons as guilty of disorderly conduct.--adjs. NAM'ABLE, NAME'ABLE; NAME'LESS, without a name: undistinguished: indescribable; NAME'WORTHY, distinguished.--adv. NAME'LESSLY.--n. NAME'LESSNESS.--adv. NAME'LY, by name: that is to say.--ns. NAME'-PLATE, a plate of metal having on it the name of a person, usually affixed to a door or a gate; NAM'ER; NAME'SAKE, one bearing the same name as another for his sake.--NAME THE DAY, to fix a day, esp. for a marriage.--CALL NAMES, to nickname; CHRISTIAN NAME (see CHRISTIAN); IN NAME OF, on behalf of: by the authority of; PROPER NAME, a name given to a particular person, place, or thing; TAKE A NAME IN VAIN, to use a name lightly or profanely. [A.S. nama; Ger. name; L. nomen.]

NANCY, nan'si, n. an effeminate young man, often a 'Miss Nancy.'--NANCY PRETTY, a corruption of none so pretty, the Saxifraga umbrosa.

NANDINE, nan'din, n. a small West African paradoxure, with spotted sides.

NANDU, NANDOO, nan'd[=oo], n. the South American ostrich.

NANISM, n[=a]'nizm, n. dwarfishness.--n. NANIS[=A]'TION, the artificial dwarfing of trees.--adj. N[=A]'NOID. [Fr.,--L.,--Gr. nanos, a dwarf.]

NANKEEN, nan-k[=e]n', n. a buff-coloured cotton cloth first made at Nankin in China: (pl.) clothes, esp. breeches, made of nankeen.--Also NANKIN'.

NANNY, nan'i, n. a female goat.--Also NANN'Y-GOAT.

NAP, nap, n. a short sleep.--v.i. to take a short sleep: to feel drowsy and secure:--pr.p. nap'ping; pa.p. napped.--CATCH NAPPING, to come upon unprepared. [A.S. hnappian; cf. Ger. nicken, to nod.]

NAP, nap, n. the woolly substance on the surface of cloth: the downy covering of plants.--v.t. to raise a nap on.--ns. NAP'-M[=E]'TER, a machine for testing the wearing strength of cloth; NAP'PINESS.--adj. NAP'PY. [M. E. noppe: the same as knop.]

NAP, nap, n. a game of cards--Napoleon (q.v.).

NAP, nap, v.t. to seize, to take hold of, steal.

NAPE, n[=a]p, n. the back upper part of the neck, perhaps so called from the knob or projecting point of the neck behind. [_Knap_, knob.]

NAPERY, n[=a]'per-i, n. linen, esp. for the table: table-cloths, napkins, &c. [O. Fr.,--Low L. naparia--napa, a cloth--L. mappa, a napkin.]