Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NIP'PLE-WORT, n.

A plant of the genus Lapsana.

NIS'AN, n.

A month of the Jewish calendar, the first month of the sacred year and seventh of the civil year, answering nearly to our March. It was originally called Abib, but began to be called Nisan after the captivity. Encyc.

NISI-PRI-US, n. [L.]

In law a writ which lies in cases where the jury being impanneled and returned before the justices of the bench, one of the parties requests to have this writ for the ease of the county, that the cause may be tried before the justices of the same county. The purport of the writ is, that the sherif is commanded to bring to Westminster the men impanneled at a certain day, before the justices, nisi pries, that is, unless the justices shall first come into the county to take assizes. Hence the courts directed to try matters of fact in the several counties are called courts of Nisi Prius, or Nisi Prius courts. In some of the United States, similar courts are established, with powers defined by statute.

NIT, n. [Sax. hnitu; G. Hiss; D. nest; Sw. gnet; Dan. gninezen, nez.]

The egg of a louse or other small insect. Derham.

NITEN-CY, n. [from L. nitco, to shine.]

1. Brightness; luster. [Lattle used.]
2. [L. niler, to strive.] Endeavor; effort; spring to expand itself. [Litlle used] Boyle.

NITER, or NITRE, n. [Fr. nitre; Sp. and It. nitro; L. nitrum; Gr. {foreign}; Heb. and Syr. {foreign}; Ar. {foreign}; nitrona. In Hebrew, the verb under which this word appears signifies to spring, leap, shake, and to strip or loose; in Ch. to strip or to fall off; in Syriac, the same; in Sam. to keep, to watch or guard; in Ar. the same; in Eth. to shine.]

A salt, called also salt-peter, [stone-salt,] and in the modern nomenclature of chimistry, nitrate of potassa. It exists in large quantities in the earth, and is continually formed in inhabited places, on walls sheltered from rain, and in all situations where animal matters are decomposed, under stables and barns, &c. It is of great use in the arts; is the principal ingredient in gunpowder, and is useful in medicines, in preserving meat, butter, &c. It is a white crystaline salt, and has an acrid, bitterish taste. Hooper. Fourcroy.

NITHING, n. [Sax.]

A coward; a dastard; a poltroon. [See Niding.]

NIT'ID, a. [L. nitidus.]

1. Bright; lustrous shining. Boyle.
2. Gay; spruce; fine; applied to persons. [Little used.] Reeve.

NITRATE, n.

A salt formed by the union of the nitric acid with a base; as, nitrate of soda. Lavoisier. Fourcroy.

NITRA-TED, a.

Combined with nitric acid.

NITRIC, a.

Impregnated with nitric acid. Nitric acid is' composed of oxygen and nitrogen or azote, in the proportions of five equivalents of the former, to one of the latter.

NITRI-FI-CATION, n.

The process of forming or converting into niter.

NITRI-FY, v.t. [niter and L. facia.]

To convert into niter.

NITRITE, n.

A salt formed by the combination of the nitrous acid with a base.

NITRO-GEN, n. [Gr. {foreign}, {foreign}, and {foreign}, to produce.]

That element which is the basis of nitric acid, and the principal ingredient of atmospheric air. In a pure state, it is a colorless gas, wholly devoid of smell and taste. It was first noticed by Dr. Rutherford, in the year I772. [See Azote.]

NI-TROG'E-NOUS, a.

Pertaining to nitrogen.

NI-TRO-LEU-CIC, a.

Designating a supposed acid obtained from leucine acted on by nitric acid. It is now supposed to be a compound of nitric acid and leucine, and therefore is not properly an acid. Braconnot.

NI-TROME-TER, n. [Gr. {foreign} and {foreign}, to measure.]

An instrument for ascertaining the quality or value of niter. Ure.

NI-TRO-MU-RI-ATIC, a.

The nitro-muriatic acid is a mix. turn of nitric and muriatic acid, or more probably a com. pound of nitrogen, oxygen, and chlorine.

NITROUS, a.

Pertaining to niter; partaking of the qualities of niter or resembling it. Nitrous acid is one of the compounds formed of nitrogen and oxygen, in which the oxygen is in a lower proportion than that in which the same elements form nitric acid.

NITRY, a.

Nitrous; pertaining to niter; producing niter. Gay.

NITTER, n. [from nit.]

The horse bee that deposits nits on horses. Med. Repos.

NITTI-LY, adv. [from nifty.]

Lousily. [Not used.] Hayward.

NITTY, a. [from nit.]

Full of nits; abounding with nits. Johnson.

NI'VAL, a. [L. nivalis, from nix, nivis, snow.]

Abounding with snow; snowy. [Not used.] Dict.