Chapter L: F. Ward (22)

2. A dramatic representation of a Scriptural subject, often some event in the life of Christ; a dramatic composition of this character; as, the Chester Mysteries, consisting of dramas acted by various craft associations in that city in the early part of the 14th century.

"Mystery plays," so called because acted by craftsmen.

Skeat.

{ Mys"tic (?), Mys"tic*al (?), } a. [L. mysticus, Gr. &?; belonging to secret rites, from &?; one initiated: cf. F. mystique. See 1st Mystery, Misty.] 1. Remote from or beyond human comprehension; baffling human understanding; unknowable; obscure; mysterious.

Heaven's numerous hierarchy span The mystic gulf from God to man.

Emerson.

God hath revealed a way mystical and supernatural.

Hooker.

2. Importing or implying mysticism; involving some secret meaning; allegorical; emblematical; as, a mystic dance; mystic Babylon.

Thus, then, did the spirit of unity and meekness inspire every
joint and sinew of the mystical body.

Milton.

-- Mys"tic*al*ly, adv. -- Mys"tic*al*ness, n.

Mys"tic (?), n. One given to mysticism; one who holds mystical views, interpretations, etc.; especially, in ecclesiastical history, one who professed mysticism. See Mysticism.

Mys"ti*cete (?), n. [Gr. my`stax the upper lip, also, the mustache + kh^tos a whale.] (Zoöl.) Any right whale, or whalebone whale. See Cetacea.

Mys"ti*cism (?), n. [Cf. F. mysticisme.] 1. Obscurity of doctrine.

2. (Eccl. Hist.) The doctrine of the Mystics, who professed a pure, sublime, and wholly disinterested devotion, and maintained that they had direct intercourse with the divine Spirit, and aquired a knowledge of God and of spiritual things unattainable by the natural intellect, and such as can not be analyzed or explained.

3. (Philos.) The doctrine that the ultimate elements or principles of knowledge or belief are gained by an act or process akin to feeling or faith.

Mys`ti*fi*ca"tion (?), n. [Cf. F. mystification.] The act of mystifying, or the state of being mystied; also, something designed to, or that does, mystify.

The reply of Pope seems very much as though he had been playing off
a mystification on his Grace.

De Quincey.

Mys"ti*fi*ca`tor (?), n. One who mystifies.

Mys"ti*fy (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Mystified (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Mystifying (?).] [F. mystifier, fr. Gr. &?; + L. - ficare (in comp.) to make. See 1st Mystery, and - fy.] 1. To involve in mystery; to make obscure or difficult to understand; as, to mystify a passage of Scripture.

2. To perplex the mind of; to puzzle; to impose upon the credulity of ; as, to mystify an opponent.

He took undue advantage of his credulity and mystified him
exceedingly.

Ld. Campbell.

My"ta*cism (?), n. [Gr. &?;. Cf. Metacism.] Too frequent use of the letter m, or of the sound represented by it.

Myth (?), n. [Written also mythe.] [Gr. my^qos myth, fable, tale, talk, speech: cf. F. mythe.] 1. A story of great but unknown age which originally embodied a belief regarding some fact or phenomenon of experience, and in which often the forces of nature and of the soul are personified; an ancient legend of a god, a hero, the origin of a race, etc.; a wonder story of prehistoric origin; a popular fable which is, or has been, received as historical.

2. A person or thing existing only in imagination, or whose actual existence is not verifiable.

As for Mrs. Primmins's bones, they had been myths these twenty
years.

Ld. Lytton.

Myth history, history made of, or mixed with, myths.

Mythe (?), n. See Myth. Grote.

{ Myth"ic (?), Myth"ic*al (?), } a. [L. mythicus, Gr. &?;. See Myth.] Of or relating to myths; described in a myth; of the nature of a myth; fabulous; imaginary; fanciful. -- Myth"ic*al*ly, adv.

The mythic turf where danced the nymphs.

Mrs. Browning.

Hengist and Horsa, Vortigern and Rowena, Arthur and Mordred, are
mythical persons, whose very existence may be questioned.

Macaulay.

My*thog"ra*pher (?), n. [Gr. myqogra`fos; my^qos + gra`fein to write.] A composer of fables.

My*thol"o*ger (?), n. A mythologist.

Myth`o*lo"gi*an (?), n. A mythologist.

{ Myth`o*log"ic (?), Myth`o*log"ic*al (?), } a. [L. mythologicus: cf. F. mytholigique.] Of or pertaining to mythology or to myths; mythical; fabulous. -- Myth`o*log"ic*al*ly, adv.

My*thol"o*gist (?), n. [Cf. F. mythologiste.] One versed in, or who writes on, mythology or myths.

My*thol"o*gize (?), v. i. [Cf. F. mythologiser.] 1. To relate, classify, and explain, or attempt to explain, myths; to write upon myths.

2. To construct and propagate myths.

My*thol"o*gi`zer (?), n. One who, or that which, mythologizes.

Imagination has always been, and still is, in a narrower sense, the
great mythologizer.

Lowell.

Myth"o*logue (?), n. [See Mythology.] A fabulous narrative; a myth. [R.]

May we not . . . consider his history of the fall as an excellent
mythologue, to account for the origin of human evil?

Geddes.

My*thol"o*gy (?), n.; pl. Mythologies (#). [F. mythologie, L. mythologia, Gr. myqologi`a; my^qos, fable, myth + lo`gos speech, discourse.] 1. The science which treats of myths; a treatise on myths.

2. A body of myths; esp., the collective myths which describe the gods of a heathen people; as, the mythology of the Greeks.

Myth"o*plasm (?), n. [Gr. my^qos myth + pla`ssein to form.] A narration of mere fable.

Myth`o*pœ"ic (?), a. [Gr. myqopoio`s making myths; my^qos myth + poiei^n to make.] Making or producing myths; giving rise to mythical narratives.

The mythopœic fertility of the Greeks.

Grote.

Myth`o*po*et"ic (?), a. [Gr. my^qos myth + &?; able to make, producing, fr. poiei^n to make.] Making or producing myths or mythical tales.

Myt"i*loid (?), a. [Mytilus + -oid.] (Zoöl.) Like, or pertaining to, the genus Mytilus, or family Mytilidæ.

Myt`i*lo*tox"ine (?), n. [Mytilus + toxic.] (Physiol. Chem.) A poisonous base (leucomaine) found in the common mussel. It either causes paralysis of the muscles, or gives rise to convulsions, including death by an accumulation of carbonic acid in the blood.

||Myt"i*lus (?), n. [L., a sea mussel, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) A genus of ||marine bivalve shells, including the common mussel. See Illust. under ||Byssus.

||Myx"a (?), n. [L., a lamp nozzle, Gr. &?;.] (Zoöl.) The distal end of ||the mandibles of a bird.

Myx"ine (?), n. (Zoöl.) A genus of marsipobranchs, including the hagfish. See Hag, 4.

Myx"i*noid (?), a. (Zoöl.) Like, or pertaining to, the genus Myxine. -- n. A hagfish.

||Myx`o*cys*to"de*a (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; mucus + &?; a ||bladder.] (Zoöl.) A division of Infusoria including the Noctiluca. ||See Noctiluca.

||Myx*o"ma (?), n.; pl. Myxomata (#). [NL., fr. Gr. &?; mucus + - oma.] ||(Med.) A tumor made up of a gelatinous tissue resembling that found ||in the umbilical cord.

Myx"o*pod (?), n. [Gr. &?; mucus, slime + -pod.] (Zoöl.) A rhizopod or moneran. Also used adjectively; as, a myxopod state.

||My*zon"tes (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. &?; to suck.] (Zoöl.) The ||Marsipobranchiata.

||My`zo*stom"a*ta (?), n. pl. [NL., fr. Gr. my`zein to suck + sto`ma, ||-atos, mouth.] (Zoöl.) An order of curious parasitic worms found on ||crinoids. The body is short and disklike, with four pairs of suckers ||and five pairs of hook-bearing parapodia on the under side.

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N.

N (n), the fourteenth letter of English alphabet, is a vocal consonent, and, in allusion to its mode of formation, is called the dentinasal or linguanasal consonent. Its commoner sound is that heard in ran, done; but when immediately followed in the same word by the sound of g hard or k (as in single, sink, conquer), it usually represents the same sound as the digraph ng in sing, bring, etc. This is a simple but related sound, and is called the gutturo-nasal consonent. See Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 243-246.

The letter N came into English through the Latin and Greek from the Phœnician, which probably derived it from the Egyptian as the ultimate origin. It is etymologically most closely related to M. See M.

N, n. (Print.) A measure of space equal to half an M (or em); an en.

Na (nä), a. & adv. No, not. See No. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nab (nb), n. [Cf. Knap, Knop, Knob.] 1. The summit of an eminence. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

2. (Firearms) The cock of a gunlock. Knight.

3. (Locksmithing) The keeper, or box into which the lock is shot. Knight.

Nab, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nabbed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Nabbing.] [Dan nappe, or Sw. nappa.] To catch or seize suddenly or unexpectedly. [Colloq.] Smollett.

Na"bit (n"bt), n. Pulverized sugar candy. Crabb.

||Nabk (nbk), n. [Ar. nabiqa, nibqa.] (Bot.) The edible berries of the ||Zizyphys Lotus, a tree of Northern Africa, and Southwestern Europe. ||[Written also nubk.] See Lotus (b), and Sadr.

Na"bob (n"bb), n. [Hind. nawb, from Ar. nawb, pl. of nïb a vicegerent, governor. Cf Nawab.] 1. A deputy or viceroy in India; a governor of a province of the ancient Mogul empire.

2. One who returns to Europe from the East with immense riches: hence, any man of great wealth. " A bilious old nabob." Macaulay.

Nac"a*rat (?), n. [F. nacarat, fr. Sp. or Pg. nacarado, fr. nácar mother-of- pearl. See Nacre.] 1. A pale red color, with a cast of orange. Ure.

2. Fine linen or crape dyed of this color. Ure.

Nack"er (?), n. See Nacre. Johnson.

Na"cre (?), n. [F., cf. Sp. nácara, nácar, It. nacchera, naccaro, LL. nacara, nacrum; of Oriental origin, cf. Ar. nakr hollowed.] (Zoöl.) A pearly substance which lines the interior of many shells, and is most perfect in the mother-of-pearl. [Written also nacker and naker.] See Pearl, and Mother-of- pearl.

Na"cre*ous (?), a. [See Nacre.] (Zoöl.) Consisting of, or resembling, nacre; pearly.

{ Nad (?), Nad"de (?) }. [Contr. fr. ne hadde.] Had not. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nad"der (?), n. [AS. nædre. See Adder.] An adder. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Na"dir (?), n. [F., Sp., & It. nadir; all fr. Ar. nasru's samt nadir, prop., the point opposite the zenith (as samt), in which nasr means alike, corresponding to. Cf. Azimuth, Zenith.] 1. That point of the heavens, or lower hemisphere, directly opposite the zenith; the inferior pole of the horizon; the point of the celestial sphere directly under the place where we stand.

2. The lowest point; the time of greatest depression.

The seventh century is the nadir of the human mind in Europe.

Hallam.

Nadir of the sun (Astron.), the axis of the conical shadow projected by the earth. Crabb.

||Næ"ni*a (?), n. See Nenia.

Næve (?), n. [L. naevus.] A nævus. [Obs.] Dryden.

Næ"void (?), a. [Nævus + -oid.] Resembling a nævus or nævi; as, nævoid elephantiasis. Dunglison.

Næ"vose` (?), a. Spotted; freckled.

||Næ"vus (n"vs), n.; pl. Nævi (- v). [L.] (Med.) A spot or mark on the ||skin of children when born; a birthmark; -- usually applied to ||vascular tumors, i. e., those consisting mainly of blood vessels, as ||dilated arteries, veins, or capillaries.

Nag (ng), n. [OE. nagge, D. negge; akin to E. neigh.] 1. A small horse; a pony; hence, any horse.

2. A paramour; -- in contempt. [Obs.] Shak.

Nag, v. t. & i. [imp. & p. p. Nagged (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Nagging (?).] [Cf. Sw. nagga to nibble, peck, Dan. nage to gnaw, Icel. naga, gnaga, G. nagen, & E. gnaw.] To tease in a petty way; to scold habitually; to annoy; to fret pertinaciously. [Colloq.] "She never nagged." J. Ingelow.

Nag"ging (?), a. Fault-finding; teasing; persistently annoying; as, a nagging toothache. [Colloq.]

Nag"gy (?), a. Irritable; touchy. [Colloq.]

||Na"gor (?), n. (Zoöl.) A West African gazelle (Gazella redunca).

Nag"yag*ite (?), n. [So called from Nagyag, in Transylvania.] (Min.) A mineral of blackish lead-gray color and metallic luster, generally of a foliated massive structure; foliated tellurium. It is a telluride of lead and gold.

Na"iad (?), n. [L. naias, - adis, naïs, -idis, a water nymph, Gr &?;, &?;, fr. &?; to flow: cf. F. naïade. Cf. Naid.] 1. (Myth.) A water nymph; one of the lower female divinities, fabled to preside over some body of fresh water, as a lake, river, brook, or fountain.

2. (Zoöl.) Any species of a tribe (Naiades) of freshwater bivalves, including Unio, Anodonta, and numerous allied genera; a river mussel.

3. (Zoöl) One of a group of butterflies. See Nymph.

4. (Bot.) Any plant of the order Naiadaceæ, such as eelgrass, pondweed, etc.

Na"iant (?), a. (Her.) See Natant. Crabb.

Na"id (?), n. [See Naiad.] (Zoöl.) Any one of numerous species of small, fresh- water, chætopod annelids of the tribe Naidina. They belong to the Oligochæta.

Na"ïf` (&?;; formerly &?;), a. [F. naïf. See Naïve.] 1. Having a true natural luster without being cut; -- applied by jewelers to a precious stone.

2. Naïve; as, a naïf remark. London Spectator.

||Na"ik (?), n. [Hind. nyak.] A chief; a leader; a Sepoy corporal. ||Balfour (Cyc. of India).

Nail (?), n. [AS. nægel, akin to D. nagel, OS &?; OHG. nagal, G. nagel, Icel. nagl, nail (in sense 1), nagli nail (in sense 3), Sw. nagel nail (in senses 1 and 3), Dan. nagle, Goth. ganagljan to nail, Lith. nagas nail (in sense 1), Russ. nogote, L. unguis, Gr. &?;, Skr. nakha. &?;] 1. (Anat.) the horny scale of plate of epidermis at the end of the fingers and toes of man and many apes.

His nayles like a briddes claws were.

Chaucer.

The nails are strictly homologous with hoofs and claws. When compressed, curved, and pointed, they are called talons or claws, and the animal bearing them is said to be unguiculate; when they incase the extremities of the digits they are called hoofs, and the animal is ungulate.

2. (Zoöl.) (a) The basal thickened portion of the anterior wings of certain hemiptera. (b) The terminal horny plate on the beak of ducks, and other allied birds.

3. A slender, pointed piece of metal, usually with a head, used for fastening pieces of wood or other material together, by being driven into or through them.

The different sorts of nails are named either from the use to which they are applied, from their shape, from their size, or from some other characteristic, as shingle, floor, ship-carpenters', and horseshoe nails, roseheads, diamonds, fourpenny, tenpenny (see Penny, a.), chiselpointed, cut, wrought, or wire nails, etc.

4. A measure of length, being two inches and a quarter, or the sixteenth of a yard.

Nail ball (Ordnance), a round projectile with an iron bolt protruding to prevent it from turning in the gun. -- Nail plate, iron in plates from which cut nails are made. -- On the nail, in hand; on the spot; immediately; without delay or time of credit; as, to pay money on the nail. "You shall have ten thousand pounds on the nail." Beaconsfield. -- To hit the nail on the head, to hit most effectively; to do or say a thing in the right way.

Nail, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nailed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Nailing.] [AS. næglian. See Nail, n.] 1. To fasten with a nail or nails; to close up or secure by means of nails; as, to nail boards to the beams.

He is now dead, and nailed in his chest.

Chaucer.

2. To stud or boss with nails, or as with nails.

The rivets of your arms were nailed with gold.

Dryden.

3. To fasten, as with a nail; to bind or hold, as to a bargain or to acquiescence in an argument or assertion; hence, to catch; to trap.

When they came to talk of places in town, you saw at once how I
nailed them.

Goldsmith.

4. To spike, as a cannon. [Obs.] Crabb.

To nail a lie or an assertion, etc., to detect and expose it, so as to put a stop to its currency; -- an expression probably derived from the former practice of shopkeepers, who were accustomed to nail bad or counterfeit pieces of money to the counter.

Nail"brush`, n. A brush for cleaning the nails.

Nail"er (?), n. 1. One whose occupation is to make nails; a nail maker.

2. One who fastens with, or drives, nails.

Nail"er*ess, n. A women who makes nailes.

Nail"er*y (?), n.; pl. Naileries (&?;). A manufactory where nails are made.

Nail"-head`ed (?), a. Having a head like that of a nail; formed so as to resemble the head of a nail.

Nail-headed characters, arrowheaded or cuneiform characters. See under Arrowheaded. -- Nail-headed molding (Arch.), an ornament consisting of a series of low four-sided pyramids resembling the heads of large nails; -- called also nail-head molding, or nail-head. It is the same as the simplest form of dogtooth. See Dogtooth.

Nail"less, a. Without nails; having no nails.

Nain`sook" (?), n. [Nainsukh, a valley in Kaghan.] A thick sort of jaconet muslin, plain or striped, formerly made in India.

||Na"is (?), n. [L., a naiad.] (Zoöl.) See Naiad.

||Nais`sant" (?), a. [F., p. pr. of naître to be born, L. nasci.] ||(Her.) Same as Jessant.

Na"ïve` (?), a. [F. naïf, fem. naïve, fr. L. nativus innate, natural, native. See Native, and cf. Naïf.] Having native or unaffected simplicity; ingenuous; artless; frank; as, naïve manners; a naïve person; naïve and unsophisticated remarks.

Na"ïve`ly (?), adv. In a naïve manner.

||Na`ïve`té" (?), n. [F. See Naïve, and cf. Nativity.] Native ||simplicity; unaffected plainness or ingenuousness; artlessness.

A story which pleases me by its naïveté -- that is, by its
unconscious ingenuousness.

De Quincey.

Na"ïve`ty (?), n. Naïveté. Carlyle.

Nake (?), v. t. To make naked. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Come, be ready, nake your swords.

Old Play.

Na"ked (?), a. [AS. nacod; akin to D. naakt, G. nackt, OHG. nacchot, nahhot, Icel. nökviðr, nakinn, Sw. naken, Dan. nögen, Goth. naqaþs, Lith. ngas, Russ. nagii, L. nudus, Skr. nagna. &radic;266. Cf. Nude.]

1. Having no clothes on; uncovered; nude; bare; as, a naked body; a naked limb; a naked sword.

2. Having no means of defense or protection; open; unarmed; defenseless.

Thy power is full naked.

Chaucer.

Behold my bosom naked to your swords.

Addison.

3. Unprovided with needful or desirable accessories, means of sustenance, etc.; destitute; unaided; bare.

Patriots who had exposed themselves for the public, and whom they
say now left naked.

Milton.

4. Without addition, exaggeration, or excuses; not concealed or disguised; open to view; manifest; plain.

The truth appears so naked on my side, That any purblind eye may
find it out.

Shak.

All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we
to do.

Heb. iv. 13.

5. Mere; simple; plain.

The very naked name of love.

Shak.

6. (Bot.) Without pubescence; as, a naked leaf or stem; bare, or not covered by the customary parts, as a flower without a perianth, a stem without leaves, seeds without a pericarp, buds without bud scales.

7. (Mus.) Not having the full complement of tones; -- said of a chord of only two tones, which requires a third tone to be sounded with them to make the combination pleasing to the ear; as, a naked fourth or fifth.

Naked bed, a bed the occupant of which is naked, no night linen being worn in ancient times. Shak. -- Naked eye, the eye alone, unaided by glasses, or by telescope, microscope, or the like. -- Naked-eyed medusa. (Zoöl.) See Hydromedusa. -- Naked flooring (Carp.), the timberwork which supports a floor. Gwilt. -- Naked mollusk (Zoöl.), a nudibranch. -- Naked wood (Bot.), a large rhamnaceous tree (Colibrina reclinata) of Southern Florida and the West Indies, having a hard and heavy heartwood, which takes a fine polish. C. S. Sargent.

Syn. -- Nude; bare; denuded; uncovered; unclothed; exposed; unarmed; plain; defenseless.

Na"ked*ly, adv. In a naked manner; without covering or disguise; manifestly; simply; barely.

Na"ked*ness, n. 1. The condition of being naked.

2. (Script.) The privy parts; the genitals.

Ham . . . saw the nakedness of his father.

Gen. ix. 22.

Na"ker (?), n. (Zoöl.) Same as Nacre.

Na"ker, n. [OE. nakere, F. nakaire, LL. nacara, Per. naqret.] A kind of kettledrum. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Na"koo (?), n. [From the native name.] (Zoöl.) The gavial. [Written ||also nako.]

Nale (?), n. [A corrupt form arising from the older "at þen ale" at the nale.] Ale; also, an alehouse. [Obs.]

Great feasts at the nale.

Chaucer.

Nall (?), n. [Either fr. Icel. nl (see Needle); or fr. awl, like newt fr. ewt.] An awl. [Obs. or Prov. Eng.] Tusser.

Nam (?). [Contr. fr. ne am.] Am not. [Obs.]

Nam, obs. imp. of Nim. Chaucer.

Nam"a*ble (?), a. Capable of being named.

Na*ma"tion (?), n. [LL. namare to take; cf. AS. niman to take.] (O. Eng. & Scots Law) A distraining or levying of a distress; an impounding. Burrill.

Nam"ay*cush (?), n. [Indian name.] (Zool.) A large North American lake trout (Salvelinus namaycush). It is usually spotted with red, and sometimes weighs over forty pounds. Called also Mackinaw trout, lake trout, lake salmon, salmon trout, togue, and tuladi.

Nam"by-pam`by (?), n. [From Ambrose Phillips, in ridicule of the extreme simplicity of some of his verses.] Talk or writing which is weakly sentimental or affectedly pretty. Macaulay.

Nam"by-pam`by, a. Affectedly pretty; weakly sentimental; finical; insipid. Thackeray.

Namby-pamby madrigals of love.

W. Gifford.

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Name (?), n. [AS. nama; akin to D. naam, OS. & OHG. namo, G. name, Icel. nafn, for namn, Dan. navn, Sw. namn, Goth. nam, L. nomen (perh. influenced by noscere, gnoscere, to learn to know), Gr. 'o`mona, Scr. nman. &radic;267. Cf. Anonymous, Ignominy, Misnomer, Nominal, Noun.] 1. The title by which any person or thing is known or designated; a distinctive specific appellation, whether of an individual or a class.

Whatsoever Adam called every living creature, that was the name
thereof.

Gen. ii. 19.

What's in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would
smell as sweet.

Shak.

2. A descriptive or qualifying appellation given to a person or thing, on account of a character or acts.

His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The
everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Is. ix. 6.

3. Reputed character; reputation, good or bad; estimation; fame; especially, illustrious character or fame; honorable estimation; distinction.

What men of name resort to him?

Shak.

Far above . . . every name that is named, not only in this world,
but also in that which is to come.

Eph. i. 21.

I will get me a name and honor in the kingdom.

1 Macc. iii. 14.

He hath brought up an evil name upon a virgin.

Deut. xxii. 19.

The king's army . . . had left no good name behind.

Clarendon.

4. Those of a certain name; a race; a family.

The ministers of the republic, mortal enemies of his name, came
every day to pay their feigned civilities.

Motley.

5. A person, an individual. [Poetic]

They list with women each degenerate name.

Dryden.

Christian name. (a) The name a person receives at baptism, as distinguished from surname; baptismal name. (b) A given name, whether received at baptism or not. -- Given name. See under Given. -- In name, in profession, or by title only; not in reality; as, a friend in name. -- In the name of. (a) In behalf of; by the authority of. " I charge you in the duke's name to obey me." Shak. (b) In the represented or assumed character of. "I'll to him again in name of Brook." Shak. -- Name plate, a plate as of metal, glass, etc., having a name upon it, as a sign; a doorplate. -- Pen name, a name assumed by an author; a pseudonym or nom de plume. Bayard Taylor. -- Proper name (Gram.), a name applied to a particular person, place, or thing. -- To call names, to apply opprobrious epithets to; to call by reproachful appellations. -- To take a name in vain, to use a name lightly or profanely; to use a name in making flippant or dishonest oaths. Ex. xx. 7.

Syn. -- Appellation; title; designation; cognomen; denomination; epithet. -- Name, Appellation, Title, Denomination. Name is generic, denoting that combination of sounds or letters by which a person or thing is known and distinguished. Appellation, although sometimes put for name simply, denotes, more properly, a descriptive term, used by way of marking some individual peculiarity or characteristic; as, Charles the Bold, Philip the Stammerer. A title is a term employed to point out one's rank, office, etc.; as, the Duke of Bedford, Paul the Apostle, etc. Denomination is to particular bodies what appellation is to individuals; thus, the church of Christ is divided into different denominations, as Congregationalists, Episcopalians, Presbyterians, etc.

Name (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Named (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Naming.] [AS. namian. See Name, n.] 1. To give a distinctive name or appellation to; to entitle; to denominate; to style; to call.

She named the child Ichabod.

1 Sam. iv. 21.

Thus was the building left Ridiculous, and the work Confusion
named.

Milton.

2. To mention by name; to utter or publish the name of; to refer to by distinctive title; to mention.

None named thee but to praise.

Halleck.

Old Yew, which graspest at the stones That name the underlying
dead.

Tennyson.

3. To designate by name or specifically for any purpose; to nominate; to specify; to appoint; as, to name a day for the wedding.

Whom late you have named for consul.

Shak.

4. (House of Commons) To designate (a member) by name, as the Speaker does by way of reprimand.

Syn. -- To denominate; style; term; call; mention; specify; designate; nominate.

Name"less, a. 1. Without a name; not having been given a name; as, a nameless star. Waller.

2. Undistinguished; not noted or famous.

A nameless dwelling and an unknown name.

Harte.

3. Not known or mentioned by name; anonymous; as, a nameless writer."Nameless pens." Atterbury.

4. Unnamable; indescribable; inexpressible.

But what it is, that is not yet known; what I can not name; &?;t is
nameless woe,I wot.

Shak.

I have a nameless horror of the man.

Hawthorne.

Name"less*ly, adv. In a nameless manner.

Name"ly, adv. 1. By name; by particular mention; specifically; especially; expressly. [Obs.] Chaucer.

The solitariness of man . . . God hath namely and principally
ordered to prevent by marriage.

Milton.

2. That is to say; to wit; videlicet; -- introducing a particular or specific designation.

For the excellency of the soul, namely, its power of divining
dreams; that several such divinations have been made, none &?;an
question.

Addison.

Nam"er (?), n. One who names, or calls by name.

Name"sake` (?), n. [For name's sake; i. e., one named for the sake of another's name.] One that has the same name as another; especially, one called after, or named out of regard to, another.

Na*mo" (?), adv. No more. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nan (?), interj. [For anan.] Anan. [Prov. Eng.]

Nan"dine (?), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) An African carnivore (Nandinia binotata), allied to the civets. It is spotted with black.

{ Nan"dou (?), Nan"du (?), } n. [Braz. nhandu or yandu.] (Zoöl.) Any one of three species of South American ostriches of the genera Rhea and Pterocnemia. See Rhea. [Written also nandow.]

Nan*keen" (?), n. [So called from its being originally manufactured at Nankin, in China.] [Written also nankin.] 1. A species of cloth, of a firm texture, originally brought from China, made of a species of cotton (Gossypium religiosum) that is naturally of a brownish yellow color quite indestructible and permanent.

2. An imitation of this cloth by artificial coloring.

3. pl. Trousers made of nankeen. Ld. Lytton.

Nankeen bird (Zoöl.), the Australian night heron (Nycticorax Caledonicus); -- called also quaker.

Nan"ny (?), n. A diminutive of Ann or Anne, the proper name.

Nanny goat, a female goat. [Colloq.]

Nan"ny*ber`ry (?), n. (Bot.) See Sheepberry.

Nan"pie (?), n. (Zoöl.) The magpie.

||Na"os (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?; a temple, the cella.] ||(Arch.) A term used by modern archæologists instead of cella. See ||Cella.

Nap (?), v. i. [imp. & p. p. Napped (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Napping (?).] [OE. nappen, AS. hnæppian to take a nap, to slumber; cf. AS. hnipian to bend one's self, Icel. hnipna, hnpa, to droop.] 1. To have a short sleep; to be drowsy; to doze. Chaucer.

2. To be in a careless, secure state. Wyclif.

I took thee napping, unprepared.

Hudibras.

Nap, n. A short sleep; a doze; a siesta. Cowper.

Nap, n. [OE. noppe, AS. hnoppa; akin to D. nop, Dan. noppe, LG. nobbe.] 1. Woolly or villous surface of felt, cloth, plants, etc.; an external covering of down, of short fine hairs or fibers forming part of the substance of anything, and lying smoothly in one direction; the pile; -- as, the nap of cotton flannel or of broadcloth.

2. pl. The loops which are cut to make the pile, in velvet. Knight.

Nap, v. t. To raise, or put, a nap on.

Nape (?), n. [Perh. akin to knap a knop.] The back part of the neck. Spenser.

Nape"-crest` (?), n. (Zoöl.) An African bird of the genus Schizorhis, related to the plantain eaters.

Na"per*y (?), n.; pl. Naperies (#). [OF. naperie, fr. nape a tablecloth, F. nappe, LL. napa, fr. L. mappa. See Map, and cf. Apron, Napkin.] Table linen; also, linen clothing, or linen in general. [Obs.] Gayton.

Na"pha wa`ter (?). [Sp. nafa, from Ar. napha odor.] A perfume distilled from orange flowers.

Na"phew (?), n. (Bot.) See Navew.

Naph"tha (?), n. [L. naphtha, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;, fr.Ar. nafth, nifth.] 1. (Chem.) The complex mixture of volatile, liquid, inflammable hydrocarbons, occurring naturally, and usually called crude petroleum, mineral oil, or rock oil. Specifically: That portion of the distillate obtained in the refinement of petroleum which is intermediate between the lighter gasoline and the heavier benzine, and has a specific gravity of about 0.7, -- used as a solvent for varnishes, as a carburetant, illuminant, etc.

2. (Chem.) One of several volatile inflammable liquids obtained by the distillation of certain carbonaceous materials and resembling the naphtha from petroleum; as, Boghead naphtha, from Boghead coal (obtained at Boghead, Scotland); crude naphtha, or light oil, from coal tar; wood naphtha, from wood, etc.

This term was applied by the earlier chemical writers to a number of volatile, strong smelling, inflammable liquids, chiefly belonging to the ethers, as the sulphate, nitrate, or acetate of ethyl. Watts.

Naphtha vitrioli [NL., naphtha of vitriol] (Old Chem.), common ethyl ether; -- formerly called sulphuric ether. See Ether.

Naph"tha*late (?), n. (Chem.) A salt of naphthalic acid; a phthalate. [Obs.]

Naph"tha*lene (?), n. (Chem.) A white crystalline aromatic hydrocarbon, C10H8, analogous to benzene, and obtained by the distillation of certain bituminous materials, such as the heavy oil of coal tar. It is the type and basis of a large number of derivatives among organic compounds. Formerly called also naphthaline.

Naphthalene red (Chem.), a dyestuff obtained from certain diazo derivatives of naphthylamine, and called also magdala red. -- Naphthalene yellow (Chem.), a yellow dyestuff obtained from certain nitro derivatives of naphthol.

Naph`tha*len"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to , or derived from, naphthalene; -- used specifically to designate a yellow crystalline substance, called naphthalenic acid and also hydroxy quinone, and obtained from certain derivatives of naphthol.

Naph*tha"lic (?), a. (Chem.) (a) Pertaining to, derived from, or related to, naphthalene; -- used specifically to denote any one of a series of acids derived from naphthalene, and called naphthalene acids. (b) Formerly, designating an acid probably identical with phthalic acid.

Naph*thal"i*dine (?), n. [Naphthalene + toluidine.] (Chem.) Same as Naphthylamine.

{ Naph"tha*lin (?), Naph"tha*line (?), } n. [F. naphthaline.] (Chem.) See Naphthalene.

Naph"tha*lize (?), v. t. (Chem.) To mingle, saturate, or impregnate, with naphtha.

Naph*thaz"a*rin (?), n. [Naphthalene + alizarin.] (Chem.) A dyestuff, resembling alizarin, obtained from naphthoquinone as a red crystalline substance with a bright green, metallic luster; -- called also naphthalizarin.

Naph"thene (?), n. (Chem.) A peculiar hydrocarbon occuring as an ingredient of Caucasian petroleum.

Naph"thide (?), n. (Chem.) A compound of naphthalene or its radical with a metallic element; as, mercuric naphthide.

Naph*tho"ic (?), a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, derived from, or related to, naphthalene; -- used specifically to designate any one of a series of carboxyl derivatives, called naphthoic acids.

Naph"thol (?), n. [Naphthalene + -ol.] (Chem.) Any one of a series of hydroxyl derivatives of naphthalene, analogous to phenol. In general they are crystalline substances with a phenol (carbolic) odor.

Naphthol blue, Naphthol orange, Naphthol yellow (Chem.), brilliant dyestuffs produced from certain complex nitrogenous derivatives of naphthol or naphthoquinone.

Naph`tho*qui"none (?), n. [Naphthalene + quinone.] (Chem.) A yellow crystalline substance, C10H6O2, analogous to quinone, obtained by oxidizing naphthalene with chromic acid.

Naph"thyl (?), n. [Naphthalene + -yl.] (Chem.) A hydrocarbon radical regarded as the essential residue of naphthalene.

Naph`thyl*am"ine (?), n. (Chem.) One of two basic amido derivatives of naphthalene, C10H7.NH2, forming crystalline solids.

{ Na*pie"ri*an, Na*pe"ri*an , } (?), a. Of, pertaining to, or discovered by, Napier, or Naper.

Naperian logarithms. See under Logarithms.

{ Na"pi*er's bones` (?), Na"pi*er's rods` (?) }. A set of rods, made of bone or other material, each divided into nine spaces, and containing the numbers of a column of the multiplication table; -- a contrivance of Baron Napier, the inventor of logarithms, for facilitating the operations of multiplication and division.

Na"pi*form (?), a. [L. napus turnip + -form: cf. F. napiforme. Cf. Navew.] (Bot.) Turnip-shaped; large and round in the upper part, and very slender below.

Nap"kin (?), n. [Dim. of OF. nape a tablecloth, cloth, F. nappe, L. mappa. See Napery.] 1. A little towel, or small cloth, esp. one for wiping the fingers and mouth at table.

2. A handkerchief. [Obs.] Shak.

Napkin pattern. See Linen scroll, under Linen. -- Napkin ring, a ring of metal, ivory, or other material, used to inclose a table napkin.

Nap"less, a. Without nap; threadbare. Shak.

Na"ples yel"low (?). See under Yellow.

Na*po"le*on (?), n. [From the Emperor Napoleon 1.] A French gold coin of twenty francs, or about $3.86.

Na*po`le*on"ic (?), a. Of or pertaining to Napoleon I., or his family; resembling, or having the qualities of, Napoleon I. Lowell.

Na*po"le*on*ist (?), n. A supporter of the dynasty of the Napoleons.

Nappe (?), n. [F. nappe cloth, sheet. See Napery.] (Geom.) Sheet; surface; all that portion of a surface that is continuous in such a way that it is possible to pass from any one point of the portion to any other point of the portion without leaving the surface. Thus, some hyperboloids have one nappe, and some have two.

Nap"pi*ness (?), n. [From 2d Nappy.] The quality of having a nap; abundance of nap, as on cloth.

Nap"ping (?), n. 1. The act or process of raising a nap, as on cloth.

2. (Hat Making) A sheet of partially felted fur before it is united to the hat body. Knight.

Nap"py (?), a. [From 1st Nap.] 1. Inclined to sleep; sleepy; as, to feel nappy.

2. Tending to cause sleepiness; serving to make sleepy; strong; heady; as, nappy ale. [Obs.] Wyatt.

Nap"py, a. [From 3d Nap.] Having a nap or pile; downy; shaggy. Holland.

Nap"py, n.; pl. Nappies (#). [OE. nap, AS. hnæp cup, bowl. See Hanaper.] A round earthen dish, with a flat bottom and sloping sides. [Written also nappie.]

Nap"-tak`ing (?), n. A taking by surprise; an unexpected onset or attack. Carew.

||Na*pu" (?), n. [Native name.] (Zoöl.) A very small chevrotain ||(Tragulus Javanicus), native of Java. It is about the size of a hare, ||and is noted for its agility in leaping. Called also Java musk deer, ||pygmy musk deer, and deerlet.

||Na"pus (?), n. [L.] (Bot.) A kind of turnip. See Navew.

Nar"ce*ine (?), n. [L. narce numbness, torpor, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;: cf. F. narcéïne.] (Chem.) An alkaloid found in small quantities in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline substance of a bitter astringent taste. It is a narcotic. Called also narceia.

Nar*cis"sine (?), a. Of or pertaining to Narcissus.

Nar*cis"sus (?), n.; pl. Narcissuses (#). [L. narcissus, and (personified) Narcissus, Gr. na`rkissos, Na`rkissos, fr. na`rkh torpor, in allusion to the narcotic properties of the flower. Cf. Narcotic.]

1. (Bot.) A genus of endogenous bulbous plants with handsome flowers, having a cup-shaped crown within the six-lobed perianth, and comprising the daffodils and jonquils of several kinds.

2. (Classical Myth.) A beautiful youth fabled to have been enamored of his own image as seen in a fountain, and to have been changed into the flower called Narcissus.

||Nar*co"sis (?), n. [NL., fr. Gr. na`rkwsis. See Narcotic.] (Med.) ||Privation of sense or consciousness, due to a narcotic.

Nar*cot"ic (?), a. [F. narcotique, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;, fr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?; to benumb, na`rkh numbness, torpor.] (Med.) Having the properties of a narcotic; operating as a narcotic.

-- Nar*cot"ic*ness, n.

<! p. 963 !>

Nar*cot"ic (?), n. (Med.) A drug which, in medicinal doses, generally allays morbid susceptibility, relieves pain, and produces sleep; but which, in poisonous doses, produces stupor, coma, or convulsions, and, when given in sufficient quantity, causes death. The best examples are opium (with morphine), belladonna (with atropine), and conium.

Nercotykes and opye (opium) of Thebes.

Chaucer.

Nar*cot"ic*al (?), a. Narcotic.

-- Nar*cot"ic*al*ly, adv.

Nar"co*tine (?), n. [Cf. F. narcotine. Cf. Cotarnine.] (Chem.) An alkaloid found in opium, and extracted as a white crystalline substance, tasteless and less poisonous than morphine; -- called also narcotia.

Nar`co*tin"ic (?), a. Pertaining to narcotine.

Nar"co*tism (?), n. [Cf. F. narcotisme.] Narcosis; the state of being narcotized. G. Eliot.

Nar"co*tize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narcotized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Narcotizing (?).] To imbue with, or subject to the influence of, a narcotic; to put into a state of narcosis.

Nard (?), n. [AS., fr. L. nardus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;; cf. Heb. nêrd, Per. nard, Scr. nalada.] 1. (Bot.) An East Indian plant (Nardostachys Jatamansi) of the Valerian family, used from remote ages in Oriental perfumery.

2. An ointment prepared partly from this plant. See Spikenard.

3. (Bot.) A kind of grass (Nardus stricta) of little value, found in Europe and Asia.

Nard"ine (?), a. [L. nardinus, Gr. &?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;&?;.] Of or pertaining to nard; having the qualities of nard.

||Nar*doo" (?), n. (Bot.) An Australian name for Marsilea Drummondii, a ||four-leaved cryptogamous plant, sometimes used for food.

Nare (?), n. [L. naris.] A nostril. [R.] B. Jonson.

||Na"res (?), n. pl. [L., pl. of naris nostril.] (Anat.) The nostrils ||or nasal openings, -- the anterior nares being the external or proper ||nostrils, and the posterior nares, the openings of the nasal cavities ||into the mouth or pharynx.

{ Nar"gile (?), Nar"gi*leh (?), } n. [Per. nrghl, prop., a cocoanut; prob. so called because first made of a cocoanut.] An apparatus for smoking tobacco. It has a long flexible tube, and the smoke is drawn through water.

||Nar"i*ca (?), n. (Zoöl.) The brown coati. See Coati.

Nar"i*form (?), a. [L. naris nostril + -form. See Nose.] Formed like the nose.

Nar"ine (?), a. Of or belonging to the nostrils.

Nar"ra*ble (?), a. [L. narrabilis, fr. narrare to narrate.] Capable of being narrated or told. [Obs.]

Nar`ra*gan"setts (?), n. pl.; sing. Narragansett (&?;). (Ethnol.) A tribe of Indians who formerly inhabited the shores of Narragansett Bay.

Nar*rate" (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrated; p. pr. & vb. n. Narrating.] [L. narratus, p. p. of narrare to narrate, prob. for gnarigare, fr. gnarus knowing. See Ignore, Know.] To tell, rehearse, or recite, as a story; to relate the particulars of; to go through with in detail, as an incident or transaction; to give an account of.

Syn. -- To relate; recount; detail; describe.

Nar*ra"tion (?), n. [L. narratio: cf. F. narration.] 1. The act of telling or relating the particulars of an event; rehearsal; recital.

2. That which is related; the relation in words or writing of the particulars of any transaction or event, or of any series of transactions or events; story; history.

3. (Rhet.) That part of a discourse which recites the time, manner, or consequences of an action, or simply states the facts connected with the subject.

Syn. -- Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; description; explanation; detail; narrative; story; tale; history. See Account.

Nar"ra*tive (?), a. [Cf. F. narratif.] 1. Of or pertaining to narration; relating to the particulars of an event or transaction.

2. Apt or inclined to relate stories, or to tell particulars of events; story-telling; garrulous.

But wise through time, and narrative with age.

Pope.

Nar"ra*tive, n. That which is narrated; the recital of a story; a continuous account of the particulars of an event or transaction; a story.

Cyntio was much taken with my narrative.

Tatler.

Syn. -- Account; recital; rehearsal; relation; narration; story; tale. See Account.

Nar"ra*tive*ly, adv. In the style of narration.

Nar*ra"tor (?), n. [L.] One who narrates; one who relates a series of events or transactions.

Nar"ra*to*ry (?), a. Giving an account of events; narrative; as, narratory letters. Howell.

Narre (?), a. Nearer. [Obs.] Spenser.

Nar"row (?), a. [Compar. Narrower (?); superl. Narrowest.] [OE. narwe, naru, AS. nearu; akin to OS. naru, naro.] 1. Of little breadth; not wide or broad; having little distance from side to side; as, a narrow board; a narrow street; a narrow hem.

Hath passed in safety through the narrow seas.

Shak.

2. Of little extent; very limited; circumscribed.

The Jews were but a small nation, and confined to a narrow compass
in the world.

Bp. Wilkins.

3. Having but a little margin; having barely sufficient space, time, or number, etc.; close; near; -- with special reference to some peril or misfortune; as, a narrow shot; a narrow escape; a narrow majority. Dryden.

4. Limited as to means; straitened; pinching; as, narrow circumstances.

5. Contracted; of limited scope; illiberal; bigoted; as, a narrow mind; narrow views. "A narrow understanding." Macaulay.

6. Parsimonious; niggardly; covetous; selfish.

A very narrow and stinted charity.

Smalridge.

7. Scrutinizing in detail; close; accurate; exact.

But first with narrow search I must walk round This garden, and no
corner leave unspied.

Milton.

8. (Phon.) Formed (as a vowel) by a close position of some part of the tongue in relation to the palate; or (according to Bell) by a tense condition of the pharynx; -- distinguished from wide; as (ve) and (fd), etc., from (ll) and (ft), etc. See Guide to Pronunciation, § 13.

Narrow is not unfrequently prefixed to words, especially to participles and adjectives, forming compounds of obvious signification; as, narrow-bordered, narrow- brimmed, narrow-breasted, narrow-edged, narrow- faced, narrow-headed, narrow-leaved, narrow- pointed, narrow-souled, narrow-sphered, etc.

Narrow gauge. (Railroad) See Note under Gauge, n., 6.

Nar"row (?), n.; pl. Narrows (&?;). A narrow passage; esp., a contracted part of a stream, lake, or sea; a strait connecting two bodies of water; -- usually in the plural; as, The Narrows of New York harbor.

Near the island lay on one side the jaws of a dangerous narrow.

Gladstone.

Nar"row, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Narrowed (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Narrowing.] [AS. nearwian.] 1. To lessen the breadth of; to contract; to draw into a smaller compass; to reduce the width or extent of. Sir W. Temple.

2. To contract the reach or sphere of; to make less liberal or more selfish; to limit; to confine; to restrict; as, to narrow one's views or knowledge; to narrow a question in discussion.

Our knowledge is much more narrowed if we confine ourselves to our
own solitary reasonings.

I. Watts.

3. (Knitting) To contract the size of, as a stocking, by taking two stitches into one.

Nar"row, v. i. 1. To become less broad; to contract; to become narrower; as, the sea narrows into a strait.

2. (Man.) Not to step out enough to the one hand or the other; as, a horse narrows. Farrier's Dict.

3. (Knitting) To contract the size of a stocking or other knit article, by taking two stitches into one.

Nar"row*er (?), n. One who, or that which, narrows or contracts. Hannah More.

Nar"row*ing, n. 1. The act of contracting, or of making or becoming less in breadth or extent.

2. The part of a stocking which is narrowed.

Nar"row*ly, adv. [AS. nearulice.] 1. With little breadth; in a narrow manner.

2. Without much extent; contractedly.

3. With minute scrutiny; closely; as, to look or watch narrowly; to search narrowly.

4. With a little margin or space; by a small distance; hence, closely; hardly; barely; only just; -- often with reference to an avoided danger or misfortune; as, he narrowly escaped.

5. Sparingly; parsimoniously.

Nar"row-mind`ed (?), a. Of narrow mental scope; illiberal; mean. -- Nar"row- mind`ed*ness, n.

Nar"row*ness, n. [AS. nearunes.] The condition or quality of being narrow.

Nart (?). [For ne art.] Art not. [Obs.] Chaucer.

||Nar"thex (?), n. [L., giant fennel, Gr. &?;.] 1. (Bot.) A tall ||umbelliferous plant (Ferula communis). See Giant fennel, under ||Fennel.

2. (Arch.) The portico in front of ancient churches; sometimes, the atrium or outer court surrounded by ambulatories; -- used, generally, for any vestibule, lobby, or outer porch, leading to the nave of a church.

Nar"wal (?), n. (Zoöl.) See Narwhal.

Nar"we (?), a. Narrow. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nar"whal (?), n. [Sw. or Dan. narvhal; akin to Icel. nhvalr, and E. whale. the first syllable is perh. from Icel. nr corpse, dead body, in allusion to the whitish color its skin. See Whale.] [Written also narwhale.] (Zoöl.) An arctic cetacean (Monodon monocerous), about twenty feet long. The male usually has one long, twisted, pointed canine tooth, or tusk projecting forward from the upper jaw like a horn, whence it is called also sea unicorn, unicorn fish, and unicorn whale. Sometimes two horns are developed, side by side.

Nas (näz). [For ne was.] Was not. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nas. [Contr. fr. ne has.] Has not. [Obs.] Spenser.

Na"sal (n"zal), a. [F., from L. nasus the nose. See Nose.] 1. (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the nose.

2. (Phon.) Having a quality imparted by means of the nose; and specifically, made by lowering the soft palate, in some cases with closure of the oral passage, the voice thus issuing (wholly or partially) through the nose, as in the consonants m, n, ng (see Guide to Pronunciation, §§ 20, 208); characterized by resonance in the nasal passage; as, a nasal vowel; a nasal utterance.

Nasal bones (Anat.), two bones of the skull, in front of the frontals. -- Nasal index (Anat.), in the skull, the ratio of the transverse the base of the aperture to the nasion, which latter distance is taken as the standard, equal to 100.

Na"sal, n. 1. An elementary sound which is uttered through the nose, or through both the nose and the mouth simultaneously.

2. (Med.) A medicine that operates through the nose; an errhine. [Archaic]

3. (Anc. Armor) Part of a helmet projecting to protect the nose; a nose guard.

4. (Anat.) One of the nasal bones.

5. (Zoöl.) A plate, or scale, on the nose of a fish, etc.

Na*sal"i*ty (?), n. [Cf. F. nasalité.] The quality or state of being nasal.

Na`sal*i*za"tion (?), n. The act of nasalizing, or the state of being nasalized.

Na"sal*ize (?), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Nasalized (?); p. pr. & vb. n. Nasalizing (?).] To render nasal, as sound; to insert a nasal or sound in.

Na"sal*ize, v. t. To utter words or letters with a nasal sound; to speak through the nose.

Na"sal*ly, adv. In a nasal manner; by the nose.

Nas"cal (?), n. [F. nascale.] (Med.) A kind of pessary of medicated wool or cotton, formerly used.

Nas"cen*cy (?), n. [L. nascentia. See Nascent.] State of being nascent; birth; beginning; origin.

Nas"cent (?), a. [L. nascens, -entis, p. pr. nasci to be born. See Nation, and cf. Naissant.] 1. Commencing, or in process of development; beginning to exist or to grow; coming into being; as, a nascent germ.

Nascent passions and anxieties.

Berkley.

2. (Chem.) Evolving; being evolved or produced.

Nascent state (Chem.), the supposed instantaneous or momentary state of an uncombined atom or radical just separated from one compound acid, and not yet united with another, -- a hypothetical condition implying peculiarly active chemical properties; as, hydrogen in the nascent state is a strong reducer.

Nase"ber`ry (?), n. [Sp. nispero medlar and naseberry tree, fr. L. mespilus. See Medlar.] (Bot.) A tropical fruit. See Sapodilla. [Written also nisberry.]

Nash (?), a. [Etymol. uncertain.] Firm; stiff; hard; also, chilly. [Prov. Eng.] Halliwell.

Nas`i*cor"nous (?), a. [L. nasus nose + cornu horn: cf. F. nasicorne.] (Zoöl.) Bearing a horn, or horns, on the nose, as the rhinoceros.

Nas"i*form (?), a. [L. nasus nose + -form. See Nose, and cf. Nariform.] Having the shape of a nose.

||Na*si*on (?), n. [NL., fr. L. nasus nose.] (Anat.) The middle point ||of the nasofrontal suture.

Na"so- (&?;). [L. nasus nose.] (Anat.) A combining form denoting pertaining to, or connected with, the nose; as, nasofrontal.

Na"so*buc"cal (?), a. [Naso + buccal.] (Anat.) Connected with both the nose and the mouth; as, the nasobuccal groove in the skate.

Na`so*fron"tal (?), a. [Naso- + frontal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the nose and the front of the head; as, the embryonic nasofrontal process which forms the anterior boundary of the mouth.

Na`so*lach"ry*mal (?), a. [Naso- + lachrymal.] (Anat.) Connected with the lachrymal apparatus and the nose; as, the nasolachrymal, or lachrymal duct.

{ Na`so*pal"a*tal (?), Na`so*pal"a*tine (?) }, a. [Naso- + palatal.] (Anat.) Connected with both the nose and the palate; as, the nasopalatine or incisor, canal connecting the mouth and the nasal chamber in some animals; the nasopalatine nerve.

Na`so*phar`yn*ge"al (? or &?;), a. [Naso- + pharyngeal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to both throat and nose; as, a nasopharyngeal polypus.

Na`so*sep"tal (?), a. [Naso- + septal.] (Anat.) Of or pertaining to the internasal septum.

Na`so*tur"bi*nal (?), a. [Naso- + turbinal.] (Anat.) Connected with, or near, both the turbinal and the nasal bones; as, the nasalturbinal bone, made up of the uppermost lammelæ of the ethmoturbinal, and sometimes united with the nasal. -- n. The nasoturbinal bone.

Nas"sa (?), n.; pl. E. Nassas (#), L. NassÆ (#). [From L. nassa a kind of basket, in allusion to the reticulation of some species.] (Zoöl.) Any species of marine gastropods, of the genera Nassa, Tritia, and other allied genera of the family Nassidæ; a dog whelk. See Illust. under Gastropoda.

-- nas"soid (#), a.

Nas"ti*ly (?), adv. In a nasty manner.

Nas"ti*ness, n. The quality or state of being nasty; extreme filthness; dirtiness; also, indecency; obscenity.

The nastiness of Plautus and Aristophanes.

Dryden.

Nas*tur"tion (?), n. [See Nasturtium.] (Bot.) Same as Nasturtium.

Nas*tur"tium (?), n. [L. nasturtium, for nasitortium, fr. nasus nose + torquere, tortum, to twist, torture, in allusion to the causing one to make a wry face by its pungent taste. See Nose of the face, and Torture.] 1. (Bot.) A genus of cruciferous plants, having white or yellowish flowers, including several species of cress. They are found chiefly in wet or damp grounds, and have a pungent biting taste.

2. (Bot.) Any plant of the genus Tropæolum, geraniaceous herbs, having mostly climbing stems, peltate leaves, and spurred flowers, and including the common Indian cress (Tropæolum majus), the canary-bird flower (T. peregrinum), and about thirty more species, all natives of South America. The whole plant has a warm pungent flavor, and the fleshy fruits are used as a substitute for capers, while the leaves and flowers are sometimes used in salads.

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Nas"ty (?), a. [Compar. Nastier (&?;); superl. Nastiest.] [For older nasky; cf. dial. Sw. naskug, nasket.] 1. Offensively filthy; very dirty, foul, or defiled; disgusting; nauseous.

2. Hence, loosely: Offensive; disagreeable; unpropitious; wet; drizzling; as, a nasty rain, day, sky.

3. Characterized by obscenity; indecent; indelicate; gross; filthy.

Syn. -- Nasty, Filthy, Foul, Dirty. Anything nasty is usually wet or damp as well as filthy or dirty, and disgusts by its stickiness or odor; but filthy and foul imply that a thing is filled or covered with offensive matter, while dirty describes it as defiled or sullied with dirt of any kind; as, filthy clothing, foul vapors, etc.

Na"sute (?), a. [L. nasutus, fr. nasus the nose.] 1. Having a nice sense of smell. [Obs.] Evelyn.

2. Critically nice; captious. [Obs.] auden.

Na"sut*ness, n. Quickness of scent; hence, nice discernment; acuteness. [Obs.] Dr. H. More.

Nat (?), adv. Not. [Obs.] Chaucer.

Nat [For ne at.] Not at; nor at. [Obs.] haucer.

Na"tal (?), a. [L. natalis, fr. natus, p. p. of nasci to be born: cf. F. natal. See Nation, and cf. Noel.] 1. Of or pertaining to one's birth; accompying or dating from one's birth; native.

Princes' children took names from their natal places.

Camden.

Propitious star, whose sacred power Presided o'er the monarch's
natal hour.

Prior.

2. (Actrol.) Presiding over nativity; as, natal Jove.

Syn. -- Native, natural. See Native.

{ Na`ta*li"tial (?), Na`ta*li"tious (?) }, a. [L. natalitius, from natalis. See Natal.] Of or pertaining to one's birth or birthday, or one's nativity. [Obs.] "Natalitial poplar." Evelyn. "Natalitious fire." W. Cartwright.

Na*tal"o*in (?), n. [From Natal aloes.] (Chem.) A bitter crystalline substance constituting the essential principle of Natal aloes. Cf. Aloon.

Na*tal" plum` (?). (Bot.) The drupaceous fruit of two South African shrubs of the genus Arduina (A. bispinosa and A. grandiflora).

Na"tals (?), n. pl. One's birth, or the circumstances attending it. [Obs.] Fitz- Geffry.

Na"tant (?), a. [L. natans, - antis, from swim, v. intens. fr. nare to swim: cf. F. natant.] 1. (Bot.) Floating in water, as the leaves of water lilies, or submersed, as those of many aquatic plants.

2. (Her.) Placed horizontally across the field, as if swimming toward the dexter side; said of all sorts of fishes except the flying fish.

Na"tant*ly (?), adv. In a floating manner; swimmingly.

Na*ta"tion (?), n. [L. natatio, fr. natare to swim: cf. F. natation. See Natant.] The act of floating on the water; swimming. Sir T. Browne.

||Na`ta*to"res (?), n. pl. [L. natator a swimmer.] (Zoöl.) The swimming ||birds.

They were formerly united into one order, which is now considered an artificial group.