Dictionary: NEAP'-TIDE – NEC'ES-SA-RY

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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, nih or nieh, D. naauw, G. nahe, Sw. nar, Dan. nær, 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; 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.t.

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.]

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, niteo, to shine, to be clean, fair or fine; W. nîth, 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. Pure; 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, nyten; Sw. nöt; Dan. nöd. In Sax. geneat is a herdsman. In Spanish, ganado 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 neatness 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. neb or nebbe; Ice. nebbe or nef; Dan. neb, næb, and with a prefix, snabel; Sw. näf; D. neb, sneb; 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 nib.]

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

NEB'NEB, n.

The East Indian name of Bablah.

NEB'U-LA, or NEB'ULE, n. [L. nebula; Gr. νεφος, νεφελη; G. nebel; D. nevel; 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 exhibiting 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-LOS'I-TY, n. [from nebulous.]

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

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

  1. Cloudy; hazy. [See Nebule.]
  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 necessary for some purpose; as, the necessaries of life. Locke.

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

  1. By necessity; in such a manner, 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 necessary to support animal life; food is necessary to nourish the body; holiness 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 question much discussed.