Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NEAR-LY, adv.

1. At no great distance; not remotely.
2. Closely; as, two persons nearly related or allied.
3. Intimately; pressingly; with a close relation to one's interest or happiness. It nearly concerns us to preserve peace with our neighbor.
4. Almost; within a little. The fact is nearly demonstrated.
5. In a parsimonious or niggardly manner.

NEAR-NESS, n.

1. Closeness; small distance. The nearness of a place to a market enhances the value-of lands.
2. Close alliance by blood; propinquity; as, the nearness of brothers and sisters, parents and children.
3. Close union by affection; intimacy of friendship.
4. Parsimony; closeness in expenses. Bacon.

NEAR-SIGHT-ED, a.

Short-sighted; seeing at a small distance only.

NEAR-SIGHT-ED-NESS, n.

The state of being short-sighted.

NEAT, a. [It. netto; Sp. neto; Fr. net; Arm. neat or neet; L. nitidus, to shine, to be clean, fair or fine; W. nith, pure; nithiaw, to purify, to winnow.]

1. Very clean; free from foul or extraneous matter; as, neat clothes. The vessels are kept neat; the woman keeps her house very neat.
2. Pure; free from impure words and phrases; as, a neat style.
3. Cleanly; preserving neatness; as, a neat woman.
4. Pare; unadulterated; as neat wine. [Obs.] Chapman.
5. Free from tawdry appendages and well adjusted; as, a neat dress.
6. Clear of the cask, case, bag, box, &c.; as, neat weight. It is usually written net or nett.

NEAT, n. [Sax. neat, neten, niten, neten; Sw. not; Dan. nod. In Sax. geneat is a herdsman. In Spanish, gonado is cattle, and vermin; doubtless the same word with a prefix. In W. cnud is a group. Neat coincides with the root of need y in elements, and if connected with it, the sense is a herd or collection, from crowding, pressing; but this is doubtful.]

1. Cattle of the bovine genus, as bulls, oxen and cows. In America, this word is used in composition, as in neat's tongue, neat's foot oil, and tautologically in neat cattle.
2. A single cow. Tusser.

NEAT-HERD, n. [Sax. neathyrd.]

A person who has the care of cattle; a cow-keeper. Dryden.

NEAT-LY, adv.

1. With neatness; in a neat manner; in a cleanly manner; as, a garment neatly washed.
2. With good taste; without tawdry ornaments; as, a lady neatly dressed.
3. Nicely; handsomely; as, a vessel neatly gilt.

NEAT-NESS, n.

1. Exact cleanliness; entire freedom from foul matter; as, the neatness of a floor or of a garment.
2. Purity; freedom from ill chosen words; as, the neatness of style.
3. Freedom from useless or tawdry ornaments; with good adjustment Of the several parts; as, the tiredness of a dress.

NEAT-RESS, n. [from neat, cattle.]

A female who takes care of cattle. [Not used in the United States.] Warner.

NEB, n. [Sax. nen or nebbe; Ice. nebbe or nej; Dan. neb, web, and with a prefix, slink; Sw. D. neb, midi; G. schnabel. In the different dialects it signifies a bill, beak, the nose or the face, from extending or shooting. See Class Nb, No. 2, 3, 6,8, 10, 13, 15, 21, 24. It is also written nth.]

The nose; the beak of a fowl; the bill; the mouth.

NEB'NEB, n.

The East Indian name of Bablah.

NEBU-LA, or NEBULE, n. [L. nebula; Gr. {foreign}, {foreign}; G. mix; D. newel; Ir. neall, neul, by contraction; It. nebbia; Sp. niebla, fog, mist Sans. nabha, a cloud. Probably the primary sense is thick or mixed.]

1. A white spot, or a slight opacity of the cornea. Cyc.
2. In astronomy, a cluster of fixed stars, not distinguishable from each other or scarcely visible to the naked eye, and exhihiting a dim hazy light, appearing like dusky specks or clouds through the telescope. Cyc.
3. [In heraldry, it is used, to describe a line drawn with undulations resembling the form of clouds; or a shield or trunk charge divided by several such lines drawn across it. E. H. B.]

NEB-U-LOST-TY, n. [from nebulous.]

The state of being cloudy or hazy. Med. Repos.

NEB'U-LOUS, a. [L. nebulosus.]

1. Cloudy; hazy. [See Nebele.]
2. Resembling a small cloud or collection of vapors.

NEC-ES-SA'RI-AN, n. [See Necessary.]

An advocate for the doctrine of philosophical necessity; more properly Necessitarian. Priestley,

NEC'ES-SA-RIES, n. plur. [from necessary.]

Things ne. cessary for some purpose; as, the necessaries of life. Locke.

NEC'ES-SA-RI-LY, adv.

1. By necessity; in such a manne, that it can not be otherwise. Truth is necessarily opposite to falsehood. A square is necessarily different from a circle.
2. Indispensably. Most men are necessarily occupied in procuring their subsistence.
3. By unavoidable consequence. Certain inferences necessarily result from particular premises.

NEC'ES-SA-RI-NESS, n.

The state of being necessary.

NEC'ES-SA-RY, a. [L. necessarius.]

1. That must be; that can not be otherwise; indispensably requisite. It is necessary that every effect should have a cause.
2. Indispensable; requisite; essential; that can not be otherwise without preventing the purpose intended. Air is rat cessary to support animal life; food is necessary to nourish the body; holaness is a necessary qualification for happiness health is necessary to the enjoyment of pleasure; subjection to law is necessary to the safety of persons and property.
3. Unavoidable; as, a necessary inference or consequence from facts or arguments.
4. Acting from necessity or compulsion; opposed to free Whether man is a necessary or a free agent is a questice much discussed.

NEC'ES-SA-RY, n.

A privy.

NE-CES-SIT-A'RI-AN, or NEC-ES-SA'RI-AN, n.

One who maintains the doctrine of philosophical necessity in regard to the origin and existence of things. Beattie.

NE-CES'SIT-ATE, v.t. [from L. necessitas.]

To make necessary or indispensable; to render unavoidable to compel. The Marquis of Newcastle, heing pressed on both sides, was necessitated to draw all his army into York. Clarendon. Sickness might necessitate his removal from court. South.

NE-CES'SIT-A-TED, pp.

Made necessary, indispensable or unavoidable.

NE-CES'SIT-A-TING, ppr.

Making necessary or indispensable.