Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NAV'I-GATING, ppr.

Passing on or over in sailing; steering and managing in sailing.

NAV-I-GA'TION, n. [L. navigatio.]

1. The act of navigating; the act of passing on water in ships or other vessels.
2. The art of conducting ships or vessels from one place to another. This art comprehends not only the management of the sails, but the directing and measuring of the course of ships by the laws of geometry, or by astronomical principles and observations. Encyc.
3. Ships in general. Aerial navigation, the sailing or floating in the air by means of balloons. Inland navigation, the passing of boats or small vessels on rivers, lakes or canals, in the interior of a country; conveyance by boats or vessels in the interior of a country.

NAV'I-GA-TOR, n.

One that navigates or sails; chiefly, one who directs the course of a ship, or one who is skillful in the art of navigation. We say, a bold navigator, an experienced navigator, an able navigator.

NAVY, n. [L. naris; Gr. {foreign}, from {foreign}, to swim, L. no, nato; Sans. nau; Armenian, naw; Pers. naodan. The elements of the verb are probably. Nd, coinciding with Eng nod, L. auto. To swim then is to move up and down Class Nd, No. 3, 9.]

1. A fleet of ships; an assemblage of merchantmen, or as many as sail in company. The nary of Hiram brought gold from Ophir. I Kings x.
2. The whole of the ships of war belonging too nation a king. The navy of Great Britain is the defense of tin kingdom and its commerce. This is the usual acceptance of the word.

NAWL, n.

An awl. [Not in use.] .

NAY, adv. [a contracted word; L. nego; Sw. ney or nej from neka, to deny; W. sac, from naca, to deny.]

1. No; a word that expresses negation. I tell you nay, but exccpt ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. Luke xiii.
2. It expresses also refusal. He that will not when he may, When he would he shall have nay. Proverb. [In those senses it is now rarely used; no being substituted.]
3. Not only so; not this alone; intimating that somethin is to be added by way of amplification. He requested a answer; nay, he urged it.

NAY, n.

Denial; refusal.

NAY, v.t.

To refuse. [Not in use.]

NAY-WARD, n.

Tendency to denial. [Not used.] Shak.

NAY-WORD, n.

A by-word; a proverbial reproach; watch-word. [Obs] Ibm.

NAZ-A-RENE, n.

An inhabitant of Nazareth; one of th early converts to Christianity; in contempt. Acts xxiv.

NAZA-RIT-ISM, n.

The doctrines or practice of the Nazarites. Burder.

NEAL, v.i.

To be tempered by heat. [Little used. See Anneal.] Bacon.

NEAL, v.t. [Sax. ancelan, to kindle.]

To temper and reduce to due consistence by heat. But need is now rarely used. [See Anneal.]

NEAP, a. [Sax. hnipan, to incline, to fall.]

Low. The neap tides are those which happen in the middle of the second and fourth quarters of the moon: They are low tides, and oppose to spring tides.

NEAP, n.

Low water. [Little used.]

NEAP, n. [This word may belong to the root of net]

, nth; Ice. nif, nose; Eth. anaf.] The tongue or pole of a cart, sled or wagon. New England.

NEAP, n. [Ice. nefi; Scot. nieve.]

The fist. [Obs.]

NE-A-POL'I-TAN, a.

Belonging to Naples, in Italy.

NE-A-POL'I-TAN, n.

An inhabitant or native of the kingdom of Naples.

NEAP-TIDE, n.

Low tide. [See Neap.]

NEAR, a. [Sax. ner or neara, nigher. This seems to be a contracted word, from nigher, the comparative of neh, nth or nick, D. naauw, G. nape, Sw. nar, Dan. naer, W. nig, strait, narrow; nigiaw, to narrow.]

1. Nigh; not far distant in place, time or degree. Regularly, near should be followed by to, but this is often omitted. We say, a house stands near a river; a friend sits near me; the man fell and was near destruction. And Jacob went near to Isaac his father. Gen. xxvii. Now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. Rom. xiii.
2. Closely related by blood. She is thy father's near kinswoman. Lev. xviii.
3. Not distant in affection, support or assistance; present; ready; willing to aid. Call upon the Lord while he is near. Is. lv.
4. Intimate; united in close ties of affection or confidence; I as, a near friend.
5. Dear; affecting one's interest or feelings; as, a near concern. My nearest life. Shak.
6. Close; parsimonious.
7. Close; not loose, free, or rambling; as, a version near the original.
8. Next to one; opposed to off; as, the near horse or ox in a ' team.

NEAR, adv.

Almost; within a little. It is near twelve o'clock. The payment of such a sum would go near to ruin him. Addison.

NEAR, v.i.

To approach; to come nearer; as, the ship neared the land; a seaman's phrase.

NEAR-EST, a. [superl. of near.]

Shortest; most direct; as, the nearest way to London. So we use nearer for shorter. [This use of these words is not correct, but very common.]