Dictionary: NE-PLUS-ULTRA – NESS

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NE-PLUS-ULTRA, adv. [Ne plus ultra; L. no further.]

To the utmost extent. It is customary to omit the last word and say Ne plus.

NEP'O-TISM, n. [Fr. nepotisme, from L. nepos, nephew.]

  1. Fondness for nephews. Addison.
  2. Undue attachment to relations; favoritism shown to nephews and other relations.

NEP-TU'NI-AN, a. [from Neptunus, the fabled deity of the ocean.]

  1. Pertaining to the ocean or sea.
  2. Formed by water or aqueous solution; as, neptunian rocks.

NEP-TU'NI-AN, or NEP'TU-NIST, n.

One who adopts the theory that the whole earth was once covered with water, or rather that the substances of the globe were former from aqueous solution; opposed to the Plutonic theory. Pinkerton. Good.

NE'RE-ID, n. [Gr. νηρηιδες, plur. of νηρηις, from Νηρευς, a marine deity; Sans. nara, water; Ar. and Heb. נהר, to flow. See Narrate.]

In mythology, a sea nymph. In ancient monuments, the Nereids are represented as riding on sea horses, sometime with the human form entire, and sometimes with the tail a fish. They were the daughters of Nereus, and constantly attended Neptune. Encyc.

NERF'LING, n.

A fresh-water fish of Germany, of the leather-mouthed kind, and apparently a variety of the rudd. Dict. Nat. Hist.

NER'ITE, n.

A genus of univalvular shells.

NER'IT-ITE, n.

A petrified shell of the genus Nerita.

NER'O-LI, n.

The essential oil of orange flowers, procured by distillation. Ure.

NERVE, n. [nerv; L. nervus; Fr. nerf; W. nerth, strength; Gr. νευρον, nerve; probably allied to ανηρ, a man, L. vir; Pers. نَر nar, the male of any animal; Sans. nar, a man. In Welsh, nêr denotes one that possesses self-energy, and hence an epithet of God.]

  1. An organ of sensation and motion in animals. The nerve are prolongations of the medullary substance of the brain, spinal cord, and semilunar ganglion, which ramify and extend to every part of the body. Encyc. Parr.
  2. A sinew or tendon. Pope.
  3. Strength; firmness of body; as, a man of nerve.
  4. Fortitude; firmness of mind; courage.
  5. Strength; force; authority; as, the nerves of discipline. Gibbon.

NERVE, v.t.

To give strength or vigor; to arm with force; as, fear nerved his arm. Ames.

NERV'ED, pp.

  1. Armed with strength.
  2. adj. In botany, having vessels simple and unbranched, extending from the base to the tip; as, a nerved leaf.

NERVE'LESS, a. [nerv'less.]

Destitute of strength; weak. Pope.

NERVES, n. [plur.]

In botany, parallel veins in a leaf, which extend from the base to the apex.

NERVE'SHAK-EN, a.

  1. Affected by a shaking. Scott.
  2. Shocked; overcome or oppressed by some violent influence, impression, or sensation.

NERV'INE, a. [Low L. nervinus.]

That has the quality of acting upon the nerves.

NERV'INE, n.

A medicine that operates upon the nerves.

NERV'OUS, a. [L. nervosus.]

  1. Strong; vigorous; as, a nervous arm.
  2. Pertaining to the nerves; seated in or affecting the nerves; as, a nervous disease or fever.
  3. Having the nerves affected; hypochondriac; a colloquial use of the word.
  4. Possessing or manifesting vigor of mind; characterized by strength in sentiment or style; as, a nervous historian. Adams.

NERV'OUS, or NERV'OSE, a.

In botany. [See Nerved, No. 2.]

NERV'OUS-LY, adv.

With strength or vigor. Warton.

NERV'OUS-NESS, n.

  1. Strength; force; vigor. Warton.
  2. The state of being composed of nerves, Goldsmith.

NERV'Y, a.

Strong; vigorous. Shak.

NES'CIENCE, n. [nesh'ens; L. nesciens, nescio; ne and scio.]

Want of knowledge; ignorance. Bp. Hall.

NESH, a. [Sax. nesc.]

Soft; tender; nice. [Not used.] Chaucer.

NESS, a. [termination of appellatives; Sax. nesse, nysse.]

Denotes state or quality, as in goodness, greatness.