NUMSKULL, num'skul, _n._ a stupid fellow: a blockhead.--_adj._ NUM'SKULLED.
[From _numb_ and _skull_.]
NUN, nun, _n._ a female who, under a vow, secludes herself in a religious house, to give her time to devotion: (_zool._) a kind of pigeon with the feathers on its head like the hood of a nun.--_ns._ NUN'-BUOY, a buoy somewhat in the form of a double cone; NUN'NERY, a house for nuns.--_adj._ NUN'NISH.--_ns._ NUN'NISHNESS; NUN'S'-VEIL'ING, a woollen cloth, soft and thin, used by women for veils and dresses. [A.S. _nunne_--Low L. _nunna_, _nonna_, a nun, an old maiden lady, the orig. sig. being 'mother;' cf. Gr.
_nann[=e]_, aunt, Sans. _nan[=a]_, a child's word for 'mother.']
NUNC DIMITTIS, nungk di-mit'tis, _n._ 'now lettest thou depart:' the name given to the song of Simeon (Luke, ii. 29-32) in the R.C. Breviary and the Anglican evening service--from the opening words.
NUNCHEON, nun'shun, _n._ a luncheon. [Prob. a corr. of _luncheon_, with some reference to _noon_.]
NUNCIO, nun'shi-o, _n._ a messenger: one who brings tidings: an ambassador from the Pope to an emperor or a king.--_n._ NUN'CI[=A]T[=U]RE, the office of a nuncio. [It.,--L. _nuncius_, a messenger, one who brings news--prob. a contr. of _noventius_; cf. _novus_, new.]
NUNCLE, nung'kl, _n._ (_Shak._) a contr. of _mine uncle_.
NUNCUPATIVE, nung'k[=u]-p[=a]-tiv, _adj._ declaring publicly or solemnly: (_law_) verbal, not written, as a will--also NUN'C[=U]P[=A]TORY.--_v.t._ and _v.i._ NUN'CUPATE, to declare solemnly: to declare orally.--_n._ NUNC[=U]P[=A]'TION. [Fr.,--Low L. _nuncupativus_, nominal--L.
_nuncup[=a]re_, to call by name--prob. from _nomen_, name, _cap[)e]re_, to take.]
NUNDINAL, nun'di-nal, _adj._ pertaining to a fair or market.--Also NUN'DINARY. [L. _nundinae_, the market-day, properly the ninth day--i.e.
from the preceding market-day, both days inclusive--_novem_, nine, _dies_, a day.]
NUPHAR, n[=u]'far, _n._ a genus of yellow water-lilies, the _Nymphaea_.
NUPTIAL, nup'shal, _adj._ pertaining to marriage: constituting marriage.--_n.pl._ NUP'TIALS, marriage: wedding ceremony. [Fr.,--L.
_nuptialis_--_nuptiae_, marriage--_nub[)e]re_, _nuptum_, to marry.]
NUR, nur, _n._ a knot or knob in wood. See KNURR.
NURL, nurl, _v.t._ to mill or indent on the edge.--_ns._ NURL'ING, the milling of a coin: the series of indentations on the edge of some screw-heads: zigzag ornamental engraving; NURL'ING-TOOL.
NURSE, nurs, _n._ a woman who nourishes an infant: a mother while her infant is at the breast: one who has the care of infants or of the sick: (_hort._) a shrub or tree which protects a young plant.--_v.t._ to tend, as an infant or a sick person: to bring up: to cherish: to manage with care and economy: to play skilfully, as billiard-balls, in order to get them into the position one wants.--_adj._ NURSE'LIKE (_Shak._), like or becoming a nurse.--_ns._ NURSE'MAID, a girl who takes care of children; NURS'ER, one who nurses: one who promotes growth; NURS'ERY, place for nursing: an apartment for young children: a place where the growth of anything is promoted: (_hort._) a piece of ground where plants are reared; NURS'ERY-GOV'ERNESS; NURS'ERYMAID, a nurse-maid; NURS'ERYMAN, a man who owns or works a nursery: one who is employed in cultivating plants, &c., for sale; NURS'ING-FA'THER (_B._), a foster-father; NURS'LING, that which is nursed: an infant. [O. Fr. _norrice_ (Fr. _nourrice_)--L.
_nutrix_--_nutr[=i]re_, to nourish.]
NURTURE, nurt'[=u]r, _n._ act of nursing or nourishing: nourishment: education: instruction.--_v.t._ to nourish: to bring up: to educate.--_n._ NURT'URER. [O. Fr. _noriture_ (Fr. _nourriture_)--Low L. _nutritura_--L.
_nutr[=i]re_, to nourish.]
NUT, nut, _n._ the name popularly given to all those fruits which have the seed enclosed in a bony, woody, or leathery pericarp, not opening when ripe: (_bot._) a one-celled fruit, with a hardened pericarp, containing, when mature, only one seed: often the hazel-nut, sometimes the walnut: a small block of metal for screwing on the end of a bolt.--_v.i._ to gather nuts:--_pr.p._ nut'ting; _pa.p._ nut'ted.--_adj._ NUT'-BROWN, brown, like a ripe old nut.--_ns._ NUT'CRACKER, an instrument for cracking nuts: a genus of birds of the family _Corvidae_; NUT'-GALL, an excrescence, chiefly of the oak; NUT'HATCH, a genus of birds of the family _Sittidae_, agile creepers--also NUT'JOBBER, NUT'PECKER; NUT'-HOOK, a stick with a hook at the end for pulling down boughs that the nuts may be gathered: a bailiff, a thief who uses a hook; NUT'MEAL, meal made from the kernels of nuts; NUT'-OIL, an oil obtained from walnuts; NUT'-PINE, one of several pines with large edible seeds; NUT'SHELL, the hard substance that encloses the kernel of a nut: anything of little value; NUT'TER, one who gathers nuts; NUT'TINESS; NUT'TING, the gathering of nuts; NUT'-TREE, any tree bearing nuts, esp. the hazel.--_adj._ NUT'TY, abounding in nuts: having the flavour of nuts.--_n._ NUT'-WRENCH, an instrument for fixing on nuts or removing them from screws.--A NUT TO CRACK, a difficult problem to solve; BE NUTS ON (_slang_), to be very fond of; IN A NUTSHELL, in small compass. [A.S.
_hnutu_; Ice. _hnot_, Dut. _noot_, Ger. _nuss_.]
NUTANT, n[=u]'tant, _adj._ nodding: (_bot._) having the top of the stem of the flower-cluster bent downward.--_n._ N[=U]T[=A]'TION, a nodding: (_astron._) a periodical and constant change of the angle made by the earth's axis, with the ecliptic, caused by the attraction of the moon on the greater mass of matter round the equator: (_bot._) the turning of flowers towards the sun. [L. _nut[=a]re_, to nod.]
NUTMEG, nut'meg, _n._ the aromatic kernel of an East Indian tree, much used as a seasoning in cookery.--_adj._ NUT'MEGGED; NUT'MEGGY. [M. E.
_notemuge_, a hybrid word formed from _nut_, and O. Fr. _muge_, musk--L.
_muscus_, musk.]
NUTRIA, n[=u]'tri-a, _n._ the fur of the coypou, a South American beaver.
[Sp.,--L. _lutra_, an otter.]
NUTRIMENT, n[=u]'tri-ment, _n._ that which nourishes: that which helps forward growth or development: food.--_adj._ N[=U]'TRIENT, nourishing.--_n._ anything nourishing.--_adj._ N[=U]'TRIMENTAL, having the quality of nutriment or food: nutritious.--_n._ N[=U]TRI'TION, act of nourishing: process of promoting the growth of bodies: that which nourishes: nutriment.--_adjs._ N[=U]TRI'TIONAL; N[=U]TRI'TIOUS, nourishing: promoting growth.--_adv._ N[=U]TRI'TIOUSLY.--_n._ N[=U]TRI'TIOUSNESS.--_adjs._ N[=U]'TRITIVE, N[=U]'TRITORY, nourishing: concerned in nutrition.--_adv._ N[=U]'TRITIVELY.--_ns._ N[=U]'TRITIVENESS; N[=U]TRIT[=O]'RIUM, the nutritive apparatus. [L.
_nutrimentum_--_nutr[=i]re_, to nourish.]
NUX VOMICA, nuks vom'ik-a, _n._ the seed of an East Indian tree, from which the powerful poison known as strychnine is obtained. [L. _nux_, a nut, _vomicus_, from _vom[)e]re_, to vomit.]
NUZZER, nuz'[.e]r, _n._ a present made to a superior. [Ind.]
NUZZLE, nuz'l, _v.i._ to rub the nose against: to fondle closely, to cuddle: to nurse or rear.--_v.t._ to touch with the nose: to go with the nose toward the ground.--Also NOUS'LE. [A freq. verb from _nose_.]
NYANZA, ni-an'za, _n._ a sheet of water, marsh, the river feeding a lake.
[Afr.]
NYAS. See EYAS.
NYCTALA, nik'ta-la, _n._ a genus of owls of family _Strigidae_.
NYCTALOPIA, nik-ta-l[=o]'pi-a, _n._ the defective vision of persons who can see in a faint light but not in bright daylight: sometimes applied to the opposite defect, inability to see save in a strong daylight--also NYC'TALOPY.--_n._ NYC'TALOPS, one affected with nyctalopia. [Gr.
_nyktal[=o]ps_, seeing by night only--_nyx_, _nyktos_, night, _[=o]ps_, vision.]
NYCTITROPISM, nik'ti-tr[=o]-pizm, _n._ the so-called sleep of plants, the habit of taking at night certain positions unlike those during the day.--_adj._ NYCTITROP'IC. [Gr. _nyx_, night, _tropos_, a turn.]
NYLGHAU, nil'gaw, _n._ a large species of antelope, in North Hindustan, the males of which are of a bluish colour. [Pers. _nil gaw_--_nil_, blue, _gaw_, ox, cow.]
NYMPH, nimf, _n._ a young and beautiful maiden: (_myth._) one of the beautiful goddesses who inhabited mountains, rivers, trees, &c.--_adjs._ NYMPH'AL, relating to nymphs; NYMPH[=E]'AN, pertaining to nymphs: inhabited by nymphs; NYMPH'IC, -AL, pertaining to nymphs; NYMPH'ISH, NYMPH'LY, nymph-like; NYMPH'-LIKE.--_ns._ NYMPH'OLEPSY, a species of ecstasy or frenzy said to have seized those who had seen a nymph; NYMPH'OLEPT, a person in frenzy.--_adj._ NYMPHOLEPT'IC.--_ns._ NYMPHOM[=A]'NIA, morbid and uncontrollable sexual desire in women; NYMPHOM[=A]'NIAC, a woman affected with the foregoing.--_adjs._ NYMPHOM[=A]'NIAC, -AL. [Fr.,--L. _nympha_--Gr.
_nymph[=e]_, a bride.]
NYMPH, nimf, NYMPHA, nimf'a, _n._ the pupa or chrysalis of an insect.--_n.pl._ NYMPHae (nimf'[=e]), the labia minora.--_adj._ NYMPHIP'AROUS, producing pupae.--_ns._ NYMPH[=I]'TIS, inflammation of the nymphae; NYMPHOT'OMY, the excision of the nymphae.
NYMPHaeA, nim-f[=e]'a, _n._ a genus of water-plants, with beautiful fragrant flowers, including the water-lily, Egyptian lotus, &c. [L. _nympha_, a nymph.]
NYS, nis (_Spens._), none is. [_Ne_, not, and _is_.]
NYSTAGMUS, nis-tag'mus, _n._ a spasmodic, lateral, oscillatory movement of the eyes, found in miners, &c. [Gr., _nystazein_, to nap.]
NYULA, ni-[=u]'la, _n._ an ichneumon.
O the fifteenth letter and fourth vowel of our alphabet, its sound intermediate between _a_ and _u_--with three values in English, the name-sound heard in _note_, the shorter sound heard in _not_, and the neutral vowel heard in _son_: as a numeral, 'nothing,' or 'zero' (formerly O=11, and ([=O])=11,000): (_chem._) the symbol of oxygen: anything round or nearly so (_pl._ O'S, OES, pron. [=o]z).
O, OH, [=o], _interj._ an exclamation of wonder, pain, desire, fear, &c.
The form _oh_ is the more usual in prose.--O HONE! OCH HONE! an Irish exclamation of lamentation. [A.S. _ea_.]
O, usually written o', an abbrev. for _of_ and _on_.
OAF, [=o]f, _n._ a foolish or deformed child left by the fairies in place of another: a dolt, an idiot.--_adj._ OAF'ISH, idiotic, doltish. [_Elf._]
OAK, [=o]k, _n._ a tree of about 300 species, the most famous the British oak, valued for its timber in shipbuilding, &c.--_ns._ OAK'-APP'LE, a spongy substance on the leaves of the oak, caused by insects--also OAK'LEAF-GALL; OAK'-BARK, the bark of some species of oak used in tanning.--_adjs._ OAK'-CLEAV'ING (_Shak._), cleaving oaks; OAK'EN, consisting or made of oak.--_ns._ OAK'-GALL, a gall produced on the oak; OAK'-LEATH'ER, a fungus mycelium in the fissures of old oaks; OAK'LING, a young oak; OAK'-P[=A]'PER, paper for wall-hangings veined like oak.--_adj._ OAK'Y, like oak, firm.--OAK-APPLE DAY, the 29th of May, the anniversary of the Restoration in 1660, when country boys used to wear oak-apples in commemoration of Charles II. skulking in the branches of an oak (the ROYAL OAK) from Cromwell's troopers after Worcester.--SPORT ONE'S OAK, in English university slang, to signify that one does not wish visitors by closing the outer door of one's rooms; THE OAKS, one of the three great English races--for mares--the others being the Derby and St Leger. [A.S. _ac_; Ice.
_eik_, Ger. _eiche_.]
OAKER, [=o]k'[.e]r, _n._ (_Spens._) ochre.
OAKUM, [=o]k'um, _n._ old ropes untwisted and teased into loose hemp for caulking the seams of ships. [A.S. _acumba_, _['ae]cemba_--_cemban_, to comb.]