NIB, noun

1. The bill or beak of a fowl.

2. The point of any thing, particularly of a pen.

NIBBED, adjective Having a nib or point.

NIBBLE, verb transitive [from nib.]

1. To bite by little at a time; to eat slowly or in small bits. So sheep are said to nibble the grass.

2. To bite, as a fish does the bait; to carp at; just to catch by biting.

NIBBLE, verb intransitive

1. To bite at; as, fishes nibble at the bait.

2. To carp at; to find fault; to censure little faults.

Instead of returning a full answer to my book, he manifestly nibbles at a single passage.

NIBBLE, noun A little bite, or seizing to bite.

NIBBLER, noun One that bites a little at a time; a carper.

NIBBLING, participle present tense Biting in small bits; carping.

NIBIL'IARY, noun [See Noble.] A history of noble families.

NICE, adjective [G. To eat dainties or sweetmeats]

1. Properly, soft; whence, delicate; tender; dainty; sweet or very pleasant to the taste; as a nice bit; nice food.

2. Delicate; fine; applied to texture, composition or color; as cloth of a nice texture; nice tints of color.

3. Accurate; exact; precise; as nice proportions; nice symmetry; nice workmanship; nice rules.

4. Requiring scrupulous exactness; as a nice point.

5. Perceiving the smallest difference; distinguishing accurately and minutely by perception; as a person of nice taste; hence,

6. Perceiving accurately the smallest faults, errors or irregularities; distinguishing and judging with exactness; as a nice judge of a subject; nice discernment.

Our author happy in a judge so nice

7. Over scrupulous or exact.

Curious, not knowing; not exact, but nice

8. Delicate; scrupulously and minutely cautious.

The letter was not nice but full of charge of dear import.

Dear love, continue nice and chaste.

9. Fastidious; squeamish.

And to taste, think not I shall be nice

10. Delicate; easily injured.

How nice the reputation of the maid!

11. Refined; as nice and subtle happiness.

12. Having lucky hits. [Not used.]

13. Weak; foolish; effeminate.

14. Trivial; unimportant.

To make nice to be scrupulous.

NICELY, adverb

1. With delicate perception; as, to be nicely sensible.

2. Accurately; exactly; with exact order or proportion; as the parts of a machine or building nicely adjusted; a shape nicely proportioned; a dress nicely fitted tot he body; the ingredients of a medicine nicely proportioned and mixed.

3. In colloquial language, well; cleverly; dextrously; handsomely; in the best manner; as, a feat is nicely done.

NICENE, adjective Pertaining to Nice, a town of Asia Minor. The nicene creed, was a summary of Christian faith composed by the council of Nice against Arianism, adjective D. 325, altered and confirmed by the council of Constantinople, adjective D. 381.

NICENESS, noun

1. Delicacy of perception; the quality of perceiving small differences; as niceness of taste.

2. Extreme delicacy; excess of scrupulousness or exactness.

Unlike the niceness of our modern dames.

3. Accuracy; minute exactness; as niceness of work; niceness of texture or proportion.

Wheres now the labored niceness in thy dress?

NICETY, noun

1. Niceness; delicacy of perception.

2. Excess of delicacy; fastidiousness; squeamishness.

So love doth lothe disdainful nicety

3. Minute difference; as the niceties of words.

4. Minuteness of observation or discrimination; precision. The connoisseur judges of the beauties of a painting with great nicety

5. Delicate management; exactness in treatment.

Love such nicety requires. One blast will put out all his fires.

6. Niceties, in the plural, delicacies for food; dainties.

NICH, noun A cavity, hollow, or recess within the thickness of a wall, for a statue or bust.

NICHE, noun A cavity, hollow, or recess within the thickness of a wall, for a statue or bust.

NICK, noun In the northern mythology, an evil spirit of the saters; hence the modern vulgar phrase, Old nick the evil one.

NICK, noun [G. The nape; a continual nodding. The word seems to signify a point, from shooting forward.]

1. The exact point of time required by necessity or convenience; the critical time.

2. [G. knick, a flaw.] A notch or score for keeping an account; a reckoning.

3. A winning throw.

NICK, verb transitive

1. To hit; to touch luckily; to perform by a slight artifice used at the lucky time.

The just reason of doing things must be nicked, and all accidents improved.

2. To cut in nicks or notches. [See Notch]

3. To suit, as lattices cut in nicks.

4. To defeat or cozen, as at dice; to disappoint by some trick or unexpected turn.

NICK, verb transitive [G. knicken, to flaw.] To notch or make an incision in a horses tail, to make him carry it higher.

NICKEL, noun A metal of a white or reddish white color, of great hardness, very difficult to be purified, always magnetic, and when perfectly pure, malleable. It is generally obtained from its sulphuret.

NICKELIC, adjective The nickelic acid is a saturated combination of nickel and oxygen.

NICKER, noun One who watches for opportunities to pilfer or practice knavery.

NICKNAME, noun [G. To banter. Signifies to surname, to call by a name of reproach.] A name given in contempt, derision or reproach; an opprobrious appellation.

NICKNAME, verb transitive To give a name of reproach; to call by an opprobrious appellation.

You nickname virtue vice.

NICKNAMED, participle passive Named in derision.

NICKNAMING, participle present tense Calling by a name in contempt or derision.

NICOLAITAN, noun One of a sect in the ancient Christian church, so named from Nicolas, a deacon of the church of Jerusalem. They held that all married women should be common to prevent jealousy. They are not charged with erroneous opinions respecting God, but with licentious practices. Revelations 2.

NICOTIAN, adjective Pertaining to or denoting tobacco; and as a noun, tobacco; so called from Nicot, who first introduced it into France, adjective D. 1560.

NICOTIN, noun The peculiar principle in the leaves of tobacco; a colorless substance of an acrid taste. It is precipitated from its solution by the tincture of nutgalls.

NICTATE, verb intransitive [Latin to wink.] To wink.

NICTATING, participle present tense or adjective Winking. The nictitating membrane is a thin membrane that covers and protects the eyes of some animals, without entirely obstructing the sight.

NICTATION, noun The act of winking.

NICTITATING, participle present tense or adjective Winking. The nictitating membrane is a thin membrane that covers and protects the eyes of some animals, without entirely obstructing the sight.

NIDE, noun [Latin A nest.] A brood; as a nide of pheasants.

NIDGET, noun A dastard. [Not in use.]

NIDIFICATE, verb intransitive [Latin A nest.] To make a nest.

NIDIFICATION, noun The act or operation of building a nest, and the hatching and feeding of young in the nest.

NIDING, noun A despicable coward; a dastard.

NIDOR, noun Scent, savor.

NIDOROSITY, noun Eructation with the taste of undigested roast meat.

NIDOROUS, adjective Resembling the smell or taste of roasted meat.

NIDULANT, adjective [Latin Nest.] In botany, nestling; lying loose in pulp or cotton, within a berry or pericarp.

NIDULATION, noun The time of remaining in the nest; as of a bird.

NIDUS, noun [Latin] A nest; a repository for the eggs of birds, insects, etc.

NIECE, noun The daughter of a brother or sister.

NIFLE, noun A trifle.

NIGGARD, noun [straight, narrow; to haggle, to be sordidly parsimonious; exhibiting analogies similar to those of wretch, wreck and haggle.] A miser; a person meanly close and covetous; a sordid wretch who saves every cent, or spends grudgingly.

Serve him as a grudging master, As a penurious niggard of his wealth.

Be niggards of advice on no pretense.

NIGGARD, adjective

1. Miserly; meanly covetous; sordidly parsimonious.

2. Sparing; wary.

Most free of question , but to our demands niggard in his reply.

NIGGARD, verb transitive To stint; to supply sparingly. [Little used.]

NIGGARDISE, noun Niggardliness. [Not in use.]

NIGGARDISH, adjective Somewhat covetous or niggardly.

NIGGARDLINESS, noun Mean covetousness; sordid parsimony; extreme avarice manifested in sparing expense.

NIGGARDLINESS is not good husbandry.

NIGGARDLY, adjective

1. Meanly covetous or avaricious; sordidly parsimonious; extremely sparing of expense.

Where the owner of the house will be bountiful, it is not for the steward to be niggardly

2. Sparing; wary; cautiously avoiding profusion.

NIGGARDLY, adverb Sparingly; with cautious parsimony.

NIGGARDNESS, noun Niggardliness. [Not used.]

NIGGARDY, noun Niggardliness. [Not used.]

NIGGLE, verb transitive and I. To mock; to trifle with. [Not in use.]

NIGH, adjective [G. A preposition signifying to, on or after, that is, approaching, pressing on, making towards; strait, narrow.]

1. Near; not distant or remote in place or time.

The loud tumult shows the battle nigh

When the fig-tree putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh

2. Closely allied by blood; as a nigh kinsman.

3. Easy to be obtained or learnt; of easy access.

The word is very nigh unto thee. Deuteronomy 30:14.

4. Ready to support, to forgive, or to aid and defend.

The Lord is nigh unto them who are of a broken heart. Psalms 34:18.

5. Close in fellowship; intimate in relation.

Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2:13.

6. Near in progress or condition. Hebrews 6:8.

NIGH, adverb ni.

1. Near; at a small distance in place or time, or in the course of events.

He was sick, nigh to death. Philippians 2:27.

2. Near to a place.

He drew nigh

3. Almost; near. He was nigh dead.

NIGH is never a preposition. In the phrase, nigh this recess, with terror they survey, there is an ellipsis of to. They, nigh to this recess, survey, etc.

NIGH, verb intransitive ni. To approach; to advance or draw near. [Not used.]

NIGHLY, adverb Nearly; within a little.

A cube and a sphere nighly of the same bigness. [Not used.]

NIGHNESS, noun Nearness; proximity in place, time or degree.

NIGHT, noun [The sense may be dark, black, or it may be the decline of the day, from declining, departing.]

1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise.

2. The time after the close of life; death. John 9:4.

She closed her eyes in everlasting night

3. A state of ignorance; intellectual and moral darkness; heathenish ignorance. Romans 13:12.

4. Adversity; a state of affliction and distress. Isaiah 21:4.

5. Obscurity; a state of concealment from the eye or the mind; unintelligibleness.

Nature and natures works lay hid in night

In the night suddenly; unexpectedly. Luke 12:20.

To-night, in this night To-night the moon will be eclipsed.

NIGHTED, adjective Darkened; clouded; black. [Little used.]

NIGHTFALL, noun The close of the day; evening.

NIGHTINGALE, noun

1. A small bird that sings at night, of the genus Motacilla; Philomela or Philomel.

2. A word of endearment.

NIGHTISH, adjective Pertaining to night, or attached to the night.

NIGHTLY, adjective

1. Done by night; happening in the night, or appearing in the night; as nightly sports; nightly dews.

2. Done every night. The watch goes his nightly round.

NIGHTLY, adverb

1. By night.

Thee, Sion, and the flowery brooks beneath, nightly I visit.

2. Every night.

NIGHTMAR, noun Incubus; a sensation in sleep resembling the pressure of a weight on the breast or about the praecordia. It is usually the effect of indigestion or of a loaded stomach.

NIGHTSHADE, noun A plant of the genus Solanum. The deadly nightshade is of the genus Atropa; the American nightshade of the genus Phytolacea; the bastard nightshade of the genus Rivina; the enchanter's nightshade of the genus Circaea; the Malabar nightshade of the genus Basella; and the three-leaved nightshade of the genus Trillium.

NIGHTWARD, adjective Approaching towards night.

NIGRES'CENT, adjective [Latin to grow black.] Growing black; changing to a black color; approaching to blackness.

NIG'RIN, noun An ore of titanium, found in black grains or rolled pieces.

NIG'RINE, noun An ore of titanium, found in black grains or rolled pieces.

NIHIL'ITY, noun Nothingness; a state of being nothing.

NILL, verb transitive Not to will; to refuse; to reject.

NILL, verb intransitive To be unwilling.

NILL, noun The shining sparks of brass in trying and melting the ore.

NILOM'ETER, noun An instrument for measuring the rise of water in the Nile during the flood.

NIM, verb transitive To take; to steal; to filch.

NIM'BLE, adjective Light and quick in motion; moving with ease and celerity; lively; swift. It is applied chiefly to motions of the feet and hands, sometimes to other things; as a nimble boy; the nimble-footed deer.

Through the mid seas the nimble pinnace sails.

NIM'BLENESS, noun Lightness and agility in motion; quickness; celerity; speed; swiftness. It implies lightness and springiness.

The stag thought it better to trust to the nimbleness of his feet.

Ovid ranged over Parnassus with great nimbleness and agility.

NIM'BLESS, noun Nimbleness.

NIM'BLY, adverb With agility; with light, quick motion.

He capers nimbly in a lady's chamber.

NIM'IETY, noun The state of being too much. [Not in use.]

NIM'MER, noun A thief. [Not in use.]

NIN'COMPOOP, noun [said to be a corruption of Latin non compos, not of sound mind.] A fool; a blockhead; a trifling dotard. [A low word.]

NINE, adjective Denoting the number composed of eight and one; as nine men; nine days.

NINE, noun The number composed of eight and one; or the number less by a unit than ten; three times three.

NI'NETEEN, adjective Noting the number of nine and ten united; as nineteen years.

NI'NETEENTH, adjective The ordinal of nineteen; designating nineteen.

NI'NETIETH, adjective The ordinal of ninety.

NI'NETY, adjective Nine times ten; as ninety years.

NIN'NY, noun A fool; a simpleton.

NINTH, adjective The ordinal of nine; designating the number nine, the next preceding ten; as the ninth day or month.

NINTH, noun In music, an interval containing an octave and a tone.

NIP, verb transitive [G. a nipping tool; to nip to cut off, to pinch.]

1. To cut, bite or pinch off the end or nib, or to pinch off with the ends of the fingers. The word is used in both senses; the former is probably the true sense. Hence,

2. To cut off the end of any thing; to clip, as with a knife or scissors; as, to nip off a shoot or twig.

3. To blast; to kill or destroy the end of any thing; hence, to kill; as, the frost has nipped the corn; the leaves are nipped; the plant was nipped int he bud. Hence, to nip in the bud, is to kill or destroy in infancy or youth, or in the first stage of growth.

4. To pinch, bite or affect the extremities of any thing; as a nipping frost; hence, to pinch or bite in general; to check growth.

5. To check circulation.

When blood is nipt. [Unusual.]

6. To bite; to vex.

And sharp remorse his heart did prick and nip

7. To satirize keenly; to taunt sarcastically.

NIP, noun

1. A pinch with the nails or teeth.

2. A small cut, or a cutting off the end.

3. A blast; a killing of the ends of plants; destruction by frost.

4. A biting sarcasm; a taunt.

5. A sip or small draught; as a nip of toddy.

NIP'PED, participle passive Pinched; bit; cropped; blasted.

NIP'PER, noun

1. A satirist. [Not used.]

2. A fore tooth of a horse. The nippers are four.

NIP'PERS, noun Small pinchers.

NIP'PING, participle present tense Pinching; pinching off; biting off the end; cropping; clipping; blasting; killing.

NIP'PINGLY, adverb With bitter sarcasm.

NIP'PLE, noun

1. A teat; a dug; the spungy protuberance by which milk is drawn from the breasts of females.

2. The orifice at which any animal liquor is separated.

NIP'PLEWORT, noun A plant of the genus Lapsana.

NIPT, participle passive Pinched; bit; cropped; blasted.

NIS'AN, noun A month of the Jewish calendar, the first month of the sacred year and seventh of the civil year, answering nearly to our March. It was originally called Abibi, but began to be called nisan after the captivity.

NISIPRIUS, noun In law, a writ which lies in cases where the jury being impaneled and returned before the justices of the bench, one of the parties requests to have this writ for the ease of the country, that the cause may be tried before the justices of the same county. The purport of the writ is, that the sheriff is commanded to bring to Westminster the men impanneled at a certain day, before the justices, nisi prius, that is, unless the justices shall first come into the county to take assizes. Hence the courts directed to try matters of fact in the several counties are called courts of Nisi Prius, or Nisi Prius courts. In some of the United States, similar courts are established, with powers defined by statute.

NIT, noun The egg of a louse or other small insect.

NI'TENCY, noun [Latin to shine.]

1. Brightness; luster. [Little used.]

2. [Latin to strive.] Endeavor; effort; spring to expand itself. [Little used.]

NI'TER, noun [In Hebrew, the verb under which this word appears signifies to spring, leap, shake, and to strip or break; in Ch. to strip or to fall off; in Syriac, the same; in Sam. to keep, to watch or guard.] A salt, called also salt-peter [stone-salt, ] and in the modern nomenclature of chimistry, nitrate of potash. It exists in large quantities in the earth, and is continually formed in inhabited places, on walls sheltered from rain, and in all situations where animal matters are decomposed, under stables and barns, etc. It is of great use in the arts; is the principal ingredient in gunpowder, and is useful in medicines, in preserving meat, butter, etc. It is a white substance, and has an acrid, bitterish taste.

NITH'ING, noun A coward; a dastard; a poltroon. [See Niding.]

NIT'ID, adjective

1. Bright; lustrous; shining.

2. Gay; spruce; fine; applied to persons. [Little used.]

NI'TRATE, noun A salt formed by the union of the nitric acid with a base; as nitrate of soda.

NI'TRATED, adjective Combined with niter.

NI'TRIC, adjective Impregnated with niter. nitric acid is the acid saturated with oxygen, or an acid composed of oxygen and nitrogen or azote.

NITRIFICATION, noun The process of forming niter.

NITRIFY, verb transitive [Latin] To form into niter.

NI'TRITE, noun A salt formed by the combination of the nitrous acid with a base.

NI'TROGEN, noun [Gr. to produce.] The element of niter; that which produces niter; that element or component part of air which is called azote. [See Azote.]

NITROG'ENOUS, adjective Pertaining to nitrogen; producing niter.

NITROLEU'CIC, adjective Designating an acid obtained from leucine acted on by niter.

NITROM'ETER, noun [Gr. to measure.] An instrument for ascertaining the quality or value of niter.

NI'TROUS, adjective Pertaining to niter; partaking of the qualities of niter, or resembling it. nitrous acid is one of the compounds formed of nitrogen and oxygen, in which the oxygen is in a lower proportion than that in which the same elements form nitric acid.

NI'TRY, adjective Nitrous; pertaining to niter; producing niter.

NIT'TER, noun [from nit.] The horse bee that deposits nits on horses.

NIT'TILY, adverb [from nitty.] Lousily. [Not used.]

NIT'TY, adjective [from nit.] Full of nits; abounding with nits.

NI'VAL, adjective [Latin snow.] Abounding with snow; snowy.

NI'VEOUS, adjective Snowy; resembling snow; partaking of the qualities of snow.