Emily Dickinson Lexicon

NUL'LI-TY, n. [It. nullita; Fr. nulliU; from L. nullus.]

1. Nothingness; want of existence. Bacon.
2. Want of legal force, validity or efficacy. South.

NUMB, a. num. [Sax. numen, the participle of Sax. niman, Guth. niman, to take, to seize, whence beniman or benyman, to deprive; benunt, benumen, stupefied, that is, seized, arrested, held, stopped; D. namen; G. nehmen. Class Nm, No. 7, 9.]

1. Torpid; destitute of the power of sensation and motion; as, the fingers or limbs are numb with cold.
2. Producing numbness; benumbing; as, the numb cold night. [Not used nor proper.] Shak.

NUMB, v.t. aunt.

To make torpid; to deprive of the power of sensation or motion; to deaden; to benumb; to stupefy. For lazy winter numbs the laboring hand, Dryden. And numbing coldness has embraced the ear. Prior.

NUMB-ED, pp. num'med.

Rendered torpid.

NUMBER, n. [Fr. nombre; L. nunterus; It. Sp. and Port. numero; Arm. and W. rover; Ir. nuimhir. I know not whether the elements are Nm, or Nb. Probably the radical sense is to speak, name or tell, as our word tell, in the other dialects, is to number. Number may be allied to name, as the Spaniards use nombre for name, and the French word written with the same letters, is number. Class Nm, No. I.]

1. The designation of a unit in reference to other units, or in reckoning, counting, enumerating; as, one is the first num. ber; a simple number.
2. An assemblage of two or more units. Two is a number composed of one and one added. Five and three added make the number eight. Number may be applied to any collection or multitude of units ur individuals, and therefore is indefinite, unless defined by other words or by figures or signs of definite signification. Hence,
3. More than one; many. Ladies are always of great use to the party they espouse, and never fait to win over numbers. Addison.
4. Multitude. Number itself importeth nat much in armies, where the men are of weak courage. Bacon.
5. In poetry, measure; the order and quantity of syllables constituting feet, which render verse musical to the ear. The harmony of verse consists in the proper distribution of the long and short syllables, with suitable pauses. In oratory, a judicious disposition of words, syllables and cadences constitutes a kind of measure resembling poetic numbers.
6. Poetry; verse. I lisped in numbers, for the numbers came. Pope. Here the first word numbers may be taken for poetry or verse, and the second for measure. Yet should the Muses bid my numbers roll. Pope.
7. In grammar, the difference of termination or form of a word, to express unity or plurality. The termination which denotes one or an individual, is the singular number; the termination that denotes two or more individuals or units, constitutes the plural number. Hence we say, a noun, an adjective, a pronoun or a verb is in the singular or the plural number.
8. In mathematics, number is variously distinguished. Cardinal numbers are those which express the amount of units; as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10. Ordinal numbers are-those which express order; as first, second, third, fourth, &c. Determinate number, is that referred to a given unit, as a ternary or three; an indeterminate number, is referred to unity in general, and called quantity. Homogeneal numbers, are those referred to the same units; those referred to different units are termed heterogeneal. Whole numbers, are called integers. A rational number, is one commensurable with unity. A number incommensurable with unity, is termed irrational or surd. A prime or primitive number, is divisible only by unity; as three, five, seven, &c. A perfect number, is that whose aliquot parts added together, make the whole number, as 28, whose aliquot parts, 14, T; 4, 2, 1, make the number 28. An imperfect number, is that whose aliquot parts added together, make more or less than the number. This is abundant or defective; abundant, as 12, whose aliquot parts, 6, 4, 3, 2, 1, make 16; or defective, as I6, whose aliquot pans, 8, 4, 2, 1, make 15 only. A square number, is the product of a number multiplied by itself; as, 16 is the square number of 4. A cubic number, is the product of a square number by its root; as, 27 is the product of the square number 9 by its 3. Encyc. Golden number, the cycle of the moon, or revolution of I9 years, in which time the conjunctions, oppositions and other aspects of the moon are nearly the same as they were on the same days of the month I9 yeats before.

NUMBER, v.t.

1. , [L. numero.]
2. To count; to reckon; to ascertain the units of any sum, collection or multitude. If a man can number the dust of the earth, then shall thy seed also be numbered. Gen. xiii.
3. To reckon as one of a collection or multitude. He was numbered with the transgressors. Is. liii.

NUMBER-ED, pp.

Counted; enumerated.

NUMBER-ER, n.

One that numbers.

NUMBER-FUL, a.

Many in number; numerous.

NUM'BER-ING, ppr.

Counting; ascertaining the units of a multitude or collection.

NUMBER-LESS, a.

That can not be counted; innumerable. Milton.

NUMBERS, n.

The title of the fourth book of the Pentateuch.

NUMBING, ppr. num'ming.

Making torpid.

NUMBLES, n. [Fr. nombks.]

The entrails of a deer. Bade.

NUMBNESS, n. num'ness.

Torpor that state of a living body in which it has not the power of feeling or motion, as when paralytic or chilled by cold.

NUMER-AL, a. [Fr.; L. tounteralis.]

1. Pertaining to number; consisting of number. The dependence of a long train of numeral progressions. Locke.
2. Expressing number; representing number; standing as a substitute for figures; as, numeral letters; as X for 10; I. for fifty; C for 100; D for 500; 31 for 1000.
3. Expressing numbers; as, numeral characters. The figures we now use to express numbers are 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, O. They are said to be of Arabian origin; but the Arabians might have received them from India. This is a controverted question.

NUMER-A-L'LE, a. [L. numerabilis.]

That may be numbered or counted.

NUMER-ALLY, adv.

According to number; in number.

NUMER-A-RY, a.

Belonging to a certain number. A supernumerary canon, when he obtains a prebend, becomes a numerary canon.

NUMER-ATE, v.t.

To count or reckon in numbers; to calculate. [But enumerate is generally used.] Lancaster.

NU'MER-A-TED, pp.

Reckoned in numbers; calculated.

NU-MER-A'TION, n. [L. numeratio.]

1. The act or art of numbering. Numeration is but still the adding of one unit more, and giving to the whole a new name or sign. Locke.
2. In arithmetic, notation; the art of expressing in characters any number proposed in words, or of expressing in words any number proposed in characters; the act or art of writing or reading numbers. Thus we write 1000, for thousand, and 50, we read fifty.

NU'MER-A-TOR, n.

1. One that numbers.
2. In arithmetic, the number in vulgar fractions which shows bow many parts of a unit are taken. Thus when a unit is divided into 9 parts, and we take 5, we express it thus, that is, five ninths; 5 being the numerator, and 9 the denominator.

NU-MER'IC, or NU-MER'IC-AL, a. [It. numerico; Fr. numerique; from L numerus, number.]

1. Belonging to number; denoting number; consisting in numbers; as, numerical algebra; numerical characters.
2. Numerical difference, is that by which one individual is distinguished from another. The same numerical body is identically the same.

NU-MERIC-AL-LY, adv.

1. In numbers; as, parts of a thing numerically expressed.
2. With respect to number or sameness in number; as, a thing is numerically the same, or numerically different.