nu ['nü, 'nyü] -n
- the 13th letter of the Greek alphabet
NU -abbr
- name unknown
- Nunavut
nu·ance ['nü-,än(t)s, 'nyü-, -,äⁿs; nü-', nyü-'] -n, adj
- a subtle distinction or variation
- a subtle quality : nicety
- sensibility to, awareness of, or ability to express delicate shadings (as of meaning, feeling, or value)
nub ['nəb] -n
- knob, lump
- nubbin
- gist, point
nub·bin ['nə-bən] -n
- something (as an ear of Indian corn) that is small for its kind, stunted, undeveloped, or imperfect
- a small usu. projecting part or bit
- nub
nub·ble ['nə-bəl] -n, adj
- a small knob or lump
nub·by ['nə-bē] -adj
- having or being like nubbles
- having nubs
Nu·bi·an ['nü-bē-ən, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- a native or inhabitant of Nubia
- a member of one of the group of dark-skinned peoples that formed a powerful empire between Egypt and Ethiopia from the 6th to the 14th centuries
- any of several languages spoken in central and northern Sudan
nu·bile ['nü-,bī(-ə)l, 'nyü-, -bəl] -adj, n
- of marriageable condition or age
- sexually attractive used of a young woman
nu·buck ['n(y)ü-,bək] -n
- a soft sueded leather
nu·cel·lus [nü-'se-ləs, nyü-] -n, adj
- the central and chief part of a plant ovule that encloses the female gametophyte
nu·chal ['nü-kəl, 'nyü-] -adj
- of, relating to, or lying in the region of the nape
nucle- -comb form
- nucleus
- nucleic acid
nu·cle·ar ['nü-klē-ər, 'nyü-, ÷-kyə-lər] -adj
- of, relating to, or constituting a nucleus
- of or relating to the atomic nucleus
- used in or produced by a nuclear reaction (as fission)
- being a weapon whose destructive power derives from an uncontrolled nuclear reaction
- of, produced by, or involving nuclear weapons
- armed with nuclear weapons
- of, relating to, or powered by nuclear energy
- crazy, berserk usu. used in the phrase go nuclear
nuclear family -n
- a family group that consists only of father, mother, and children
nuclear magnetic resonance -n
- the magnetic resonance of an atomic nucleus
- chemical analysis that uses such resonance esp. to study molecular structure
nuclear medicine -n
- a branch of medicine dealing with the use of radioactive materials in the diagnosis and treatment of disease
nuclear membrane -n
- a double membrane enclosing a cell nucleus and having its outer part continuous with the endoplasmic reticulum called also nuclear envelope
nuclear sap -n
- the clear homogeneous ground substance of a cell nucleus
nuclear winter -n
- the chilling of climate that is hypothesized to be a consequence of nuclear war and to result from the prolonged blockage of sunlight by high-altitude dust clouds produced by nuclear explosions
nu·cle·ase ['nü-klē-,ās, 'nyü-, -,āz] -n
- any of various enzymes that promote hydrolysis of nucleic acids
nu·cle·ate ['nü-klē-,āt, 'nyü-] -vb, n
- to form into a nucleus : cluster
- to act as a nucleus for
- to supply nuclei to
- to form a nucleus
- to act as a nucleus
- to begin to form
nu·cle·at·ed ['nü-klē-,ā-təd, 'nyü-] -adj
- having a nucleus or nuclei
- originating or occurring at nuclei
nu·cle·ic acid [nu̇-'klē-ik-, -'klā-, nyu̇-] -n
- any of various complex organic acids (as DNA or RNA) that are composed of nucleotide chains
nu·cle·in ['nü-klē-ən, 'nyü-] -n
- nucleoprotein
- nucleic acid
nu·cle·o·cap·sid [,nü-klē-ō-'kap-səd, ,nyü-] -n
- the nucleic acid and surrounding protein coat in a virus
nu·cle·oid ['nü-klē-,ȯid, 'nyü-] -n
- the DNA-containing area of a prokaryotic cell (as a bacterium)
nu·cle·o·lus [nü-'klē-ə-ləs, nyü-] -n, adj
- a spherical body of the nucleus of most eukaryotes that becomes enlarged during protein synthesis, is associated with a nucleolus organizer, and contains the DNA templates for ribosomal RNA
nucleolus organizer -n
- the specific part of a chromosome with which a nucleolus is associated esp. during its reorganization after nuclear division called also nucleolar organizer
nu·cle·on ['nü-klē-,än, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- a proton or neutron esp. in the atomic nucleus
- a hypothetical single entity with one-half unit of isospin that can manifest itself as either a proton or a neutron
nu·cle·on·ics [,nü-klē-'ä-niks, ,nyü-] -n pl but sing or pl in constr
- a branch of physical science that deals with nucleons or with all phenomena of the atomic nucleus
nu·cle·o·phile ['nü-klē-ə-,fī(-ə)l, 'nyü-] -n
- a nucleophilic substance (as an electron-donating reagent)
nu·cle·o·phil·ic [,nü-klē-ə-'fi-lik, ,nyü-] -adj, adv, n
- having an affinity for atomic nuclei : being an electron donor
- involving a nucleophilic species
nu·cle·o·plasm ['nü-klē-ə-,pla-zəm, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- the protoplasm of a nucleus
nu·cle·o·pro·tein [,nü-klē-ō-'prō-,tēn, ,nyü-, -'prō-tē-ən] -n
- a compound that consists of a protein (as a histone) conjugated with a nucleic acid (as a DNA) and that is the principal constituent of the hereditary material in chromosomes
nu·cle·o·side ['nü-klē-ə-,sīd, 'nyü-] -n
- a compound (as guanosine or adenosine) that consists of a purine or pyrimidine base combined with deoxyribose or ribose and is found esp. in DNA or RNA
nu·cle·o·some [-,sōm] -n, adj
- any of the repeating globular subunits of chromatin that consist of a complex of DNA and histone
nu·cle·o·syn·the·sis [,nü-klē-ō-'sin(t)-thə-səs, ,nyü-] -n, adj
- the production of a chemical element from simpler nuclei (as of hydrogen) esp. in a star
nu·cle·o·tid·ase [,nü-klē-ə-'tī-,dās, ,nyü-, -,dāz] -n
- a phosphatase that promotes hydrolysis of a nucleotide (as into a nucleoside and phosphoric acid)
nu·cle·o·tide ['nü-klē-ə-,tīd, 'nyü-] -n
- any of several compounds that consist of a ribose or deoxyribose sugar joined to a purine or pyrimidine base and to a phosphate group and that are the basic structural units of nucleic acids (as RNA and DNA)
nu·cle·us ['nü-klē-əs, 'nyü-] -n
- the small bright body in the head of a comet
- the small brighter and denser portion of a galaxy
- : a central point, group, or mass about which gathering, concentration, or accretion takes place: as
- a cellular organelle of eukaryotes that is essential to cell functions (as reproduction and protein synthesis), is composed of nucleoplasm and a nucleoprotein-rich network from which chromosomes and nucleoli arise, and is enclosed in a definite membrane
- a mass of gray matter or group of cell bodies of neurons in the central nervous system
- a characteristic and stable complex of atoms or groups in a molecule
- ring
- the positively charged central portion of an atom that comprises nearly all of the atomic mass and that consists of protons and usu. neutrons
- the peak of sonority in the utterance of a syllable
- a basic or essential part : core
- players who are the nucleus of the team
nu·clide ['nü-,klīd, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- a species of atom characterized by the constitution of its nucleus and hence by the number of protons, the number of neutrons, and the energy content
nude ['nüd, 'nyüd] -adj, adv, n
- lacking something essential esp. to legal validity
- devoid of a natural or conventional covering
- not covered by clothing or a drape
- of the color of a white person's flesh
- giving the appearance of nudity
- featuring nudes
- frequented by naked people
- a representation of a nude human figure
- a nude person
- the condition of being nude
nudge ['nəj] -vb, n
- to touch or push gently
- to seek the attention of by a push of the elbow
- to prod lightly : urge into action
- approach
- its circulation is nudging the four million mark -- Bennett Cerf
- to give a nudge
nu·di·branch ['nü-də-,braŋk, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- any of an order (Nudibranchia) of marine opisthobranch mollusks without a shell in the adult state and without true gills
nud·ism ['nü-,di-zəm, 'nyü-] -n, adj or n
- the practice of going nude esp. in sexually mixed groups and during periods of time spent at specially secluded places
nud·nik ['nu̇d-nik] -n
- a person who is a bore or nuisance
Nu·er ['nü-ər] -n
- a member of a Nilotic people of southern Sudan
- the language of the Nuer people
nu·ga·to·ry ['nü-gə-,tȯr-ē, 'nyü-] -adj
- of little or no consequence : trifling, inconsequential
- having no force : inoperative
nug·get ['nə-gət] -n
- a solid lump
- a native lump of precious metal
- tidbit
- a small usu. rounded piece of food
nui·sance ['nü-sᵊn(t)s, 'nyü-] -n
- harm, injury
- one that is annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious : pest
nuisance tax -n
- an excise tax collected in small amounts on a wide range of commodities directly from the consumer
nuke ['nük, 'nyük] -n
- a nuclear weapon
- a nuclear-powered electric generating station
- to attack or destroy with or as if with nuclear bombs
- microwave
null ['nəl] -adj
- having no legal or binding force : invalid
- amounting to nothing : nil
- having no value : insignificant
- having no elements
- having zero as a limit
- having all elements equal to zero
- indicating usu. by a zero reading on a scale when a given quantity (as current or voltage) is zero or when two quantities are equal used of an instrument
- being or relating to a method of measurement in which an unknown quantity (as of electric current) is compared with a known quantity of the same kind and found equal by a null detector
- of, being, or relating to zero
- zero
- zero
- a condition of a radio receiver when minimum or zero signal is received
- a minimum or zero value of an electric current or of a radio signal
- to make null
nul·lah ['nə-lə] -n
- gully, ravine
null and void -adj
- having no force, binding power, or validity
null hypothesis -n
- a statistical hypothesis to be tested and accepted or rejected in favor of an alternative
- the hypothesis that an observed difference (as between the means of two samples) is due to chance alone and not due to a systematic cause
nul·li·fi·ca·tion [,nə-lə-fə-'kā-shən] -n
- the act of nullifying : the state of being nullified
- the action of a state impeding or attempting to prevent the operation and enforcement within its territory of a law of the U.S.
- jury nullification
nul·li·fi·er ['nə-lə-,fī(-ə)r] -n
- one that nullifies
- one maintaining the right of nullification against the U.S. government
nul·li·fy ['nə-lə-,fī] -vt
- to make null
- to make legally null and void
- to make of no value or consequence
nul·lip·a·rous [,nə-'li-pə-rəs] -adj
- of, relating to, or being a female that has not borne offspring
nul·li·ty ['nə-lə-tē] -n
- the quality or state of being null
- legal invalidity
- nothingness
- insignificance
- a mere nothing : nonentity
- one that is null
- an act void of legal effect
- the number of elements in a basis of a null-space
nullspace ['nəl-,spās] -n
- a subspace of a vector space consisting of vectors that under a given linear transformation are mapped onto zero
num -abbr
- numeral
Num -abbr
- Numbers
numb ['nəm] -adj, vt, adv, n
- devoid of sensation esp. as a result of cold or anesthesia
- devoid of emotion : indifferent
num·ber ['nəm-bər] -n
- a sum of units : total
- complement
- an indefinite usu. large total
- a number of members were absent
- the number of elderly is rising
- a numerous group : many
- a numerical preponderance
- the characteristic of an individual by which it is treated as a unit or of a collection by which it is treated in terms of units
- an ascertainable total
- a unit belonging to an abstract mathematical system and subject to specified laws of succession, addition, and multiplication
- natural number
- an element (as ) of any of many mathematical systems obtained by extension of or analogy with the natural number system
- arithmetic
- a distinction of word form to denote reference to one or more than one
- a form or group of forms so distinguished
- metrical structure : meter
- metrical lines : verses
- musical sounds : notes
- a word, symbol, letter, or combination of symbols representing a number
- a numeral or combination of numerals or other symbols used to identify or designate
- a member of a sequence or collection designated by esp. consecutive numbers (as an issue of a periodical)
- a position in a numbered sequence
- a group of one kind
- : one singled out from a group : individual: as
- girl, woman
- met an attractive number at the dance
- a musical, theatrical, or literary selection or production
- routine, act
- stunt, trick
- an act of transforming or impairing
- tripped and did a number on her knee
- an item of merchandise and esp. clothing
- insight into a person's ability or character
- a form of lottery in which an individual wagers on the appearance of a certain combination of digits (as in regularly published numbers) called also numbers game
- policy
- figures representing amounts of money usu. in dollars spent, earned, or involved
- statistics
- individual statistics (as of an athlete)
- rating
- a person represented by a number or considered without regard to individuality
- at the university I was just a number
- lifetime used with up
- the old feeling that comes to men in combat...that your number was up -- Geoffrey Norman
number [-b(ə-)riŋ] -vb, adj, n
- count, enumerate
- to claim as part of a total : include
- to restrict to a definite number
- to assign a number to
- to amount to in number : total
- to reach a total number
- to call off numbers in sequence
number cruncher -n
- a computer that performs fast numerical calculations esp. on large amounts of data
- a person concerned with numerical data (as statistics)
num·ber·less ['nəm-bər-ləs] -adj
- innumerable, countless
number line -n
- a line of infinite extent whose points correspond to the real numbers according to their distance in a positive or negative direction from a point arbitrarily taken as zero
number one -n
- one's own interests or welfare : oneself
- looking out for number one
often written No. 1 - one that is first in rank, importance, or influence often written No. 1
- first in rank, importance, or influence : foremost
- cancer is the country's number one killer
often written No. 1 - of highest or of high quality
number plate -n
- license plate
Num·bers ['nəm-bərz] -n pl but sing in constr
- the mainly narrative fourth book of canonical Jewish and Christian Scripture
number theory -n, adj
- the study of the properties of integers
numb·ing ['nə-miŋ] -adj, adv
- tending or serving to make numb or spiritless
- losing by a numbing margin
numbskull ['nəm-,skəl] -n
(variant of numskull)
- a thick or muddled head
- a dull or stupid person : dunce
nu·men ['nü-mən, 'nyü-] -n
- a spiritual force or influence often identified with a natural object, phenomenon, or place
nu·mer·a·ble ['nüm-rə-bəl, 'nü-mə-; 'nyüm-, 'nyü-mə-] -adj
- capable of being counted
nu·mer·acy ['n(y)üm-rə-sē, 'n(y)ü-mə-] -n, adj
- the capacity for quantitative thought and expression
nu·mer·al ['nüm-rəl, 'nü-mə-; 'nyüm-, 'nyü-mə-] -adj, adv
- of, relating to, or expressing numbers
- consisting of numbers or numerals
numeral -n
- a conventional symbol that represents a number
- numbers that designate by year a school or college class and that are awarded for distinction in an extracurricular activity
nu·mer·ate ['nü-mə-,rāt, 'nyü-] -vt
- enumerate
nu·mer·a·tion [,nü-mə-'rā-shən, ,nyü-] -n
- the act or process or an instance of counting or numbering
- a system of counting or numbering
- an act or instance of designating by a number
- the art of reading in words numbers expressed by numerals
nu·mer·a·tor ['nü-mə-,rā-tər, 'nyü-] -n
- the part of a fraction that is above the line and signifies the number to be divided by the denominator
- one that numbers
nu·mer·ic [nu̇-'mer-ik, nyu̇-] -adj
- numerical
- denoting a number or a system of numbers
- number, numeral
nu·mer·i·cal [nu̇-'mer-i-kəl, nyu̇-] -adj, adv
- of or relating to numbers
- the numerical superiority of the enemy
- expressed in or involving numbers or a number system
- numerical standing in a class
numerical analysis -n
- the study of quantitative approximations to the solutions of mathematical problems including consideration of and bounds to the errors involved
numerical taxonomy -n, adj
- taxonomy in which many quantitatively measured characters are given equal weight in the determination of taxa and the construction of diagrams indicating systematic relationships
nu·mer·ol·o·gy [,nü-mə-'rä-lə-jē, ,nyü-] -n, adj
- the study of the occult significance of numbers
nu·me·ro uno ['nü-mə-rō-'ü-(,)nō, 'nyü-] -n, adj
- number one
nu·mer·ous ['nüm-rəs, 'nü-mə-; 'nyüm-, 'nyü-mə-] -adj, adv, n
- consisting of great numbers of units or individuals
- born into a numerous family
- many
- received numerous complaints
nu·mi·nous ['nü-mə-nəs, 'nyü-] -adj, n
- supernatural, mysterious
- filled with a sense of the presence of divinity : holy
- appealing to the higher emotions or to the aesthetic sense : spiritual
nu·mis·mat·ic [,nü-məz-'ma-tik, -məs-, ,nyü-] -adj, adv
- of or relating to numismatics
- of or relating to currency : monetary
nu·mis·mat·ics [-tiks] -n pl but sing in constr, n
- the study or collection of coins, tokens, and paper money and sometimes related objects (as medals)
num·mu·lar ['nəm-yə-lər] -adj
- characterized by circular or oval lesions or drops
num·mu·lit·ic limestone [,nəm-yə-'li-tik-] -n
- the most widely distributed and distinctive formation of the Eocene in Europe, Asia, and northern Africa
num·skull ['nəm-,skəl] -n
- a thick or muddled head
- a dull or stupid person : dunce
nun ['nən] -n, adj
- a woman belonging to a religious order
- one under solemn vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience
- the 14th letter of the Hebrew alphabet
nun·a·tak ['nə-nə-,tak] -n
- a hill or mountain completely surrounded by glacial ice
Nunc Di·mit·tis [,nəŋk-də-'mi-təs, ,nu̇ŋk-] -n
- the prayer of Simeon in Luke 2:2932 used as a canticle
nun·cha·ku ['nən-,chək, ,nən-'chä-kü] -n
- a weapon that consists of two hardwood sticks joined at their ends by a short length of rawhide, cord, or chain
nun·ci·a·ture ['nən(t)-sē-ə-,chu̇r, 'nu̇n(t)-, -chər, -,tyu̇r, -,tu̇r] -n
- a papal diplomatic mission headed by a nuncio
- the office or period of office of a nuncio
nun·cio ['nən(t)-sē-,ō, 'nu̇n(t)-] -n
- a papal legate of the highest rank permanently accredited to a civil government
nun·cle ['nəŋ-kəl] -n
- uncle
nun·cu·pa·tive ['nən-kyu̇-,pā-tiv, 'nəŋ-; ,nən-'kyü-pə-] -adj
- not written : oral
nun·nery ['nən-rē, 'nə-nə-] -n
- a convent of nuns
nuoc mam [nü-'äk-'mäm] -n
- a sauce made of fish (as anchovies) fermented in brine
Nu·pe ['nü-(,)pā] -n
- a member of a people of west central Nigeria
- the language of the Nupe people
nup·tial ['nəp-shəl, -chəl, ÷-shə-wəl, ÷-chə-wəl] -adj
- of or relating to marriage or the marriage ceremony
- characteristic of or occurring in the breeding season
nuptial -n
- marriage, wedding usu. used in pl.
nup·tial·i·ty [,nəp-shē-'a-lə-tē, -chē-] -n
- the marriage rate
Nur·i·stani [,nu̇r-ə-'stä-nē, ,nyu̇r-] -n
- a member of a group of peoples of the Hindu Kush in northeastern Afghanistan
- the family of languages spoken by the Nuristanis that constitutes a distinct branch of Indo-Iranian
nurse ['nərs] -n
- a woman who suckles an infant not her own : wet nurse
- a woman who takes care of a young child : dry nurse
- one that looks after, fosters, or advises
- a person who cares for the sick or infirm
- a licensed health-care professional who practices independently or is supervised by a physician, surgeon, or dentist and who is skilled in promoting and maintaining health
- a worker form of a social insect (as an ant or a bee) that cares for the young
- a female mammal used to suckle the young of another
- to nourish at the breast : suckle
- to take nourishment from the breast of
- rear, educate
- to promote the development or progress of
- to manage with care or economy
- nursed the business through hard times
- to take charge of and watch over
- to care for and wait on (as a sick person)
- to attempt to cure by care and treatment
- to hold in one's memory or consideration
- to use, handle, or operate carefully so as to conserve energy or avoid injury or pain
- to use sparingly
- to consume slowly or over a long period
- to feed an offspring from the breast
- to feed at the breast : suck
- to act or serve as a nurse
nurse·maid ['nərs-,mād] -n
- a girl or woman who is regularly employed to look after children
nursemid·wife [-'mid-,wīf] -n
- a registered nurse with additional training as a midwife who delivers infants and provides prenatal and postpartum care, newborn care, and some routine care (as gynecological exams) of women
nurseprac·ti·tion·er [-prak-'ti-sh(ə-)nər] -n
- a registered nurse who is qualified through advanced training to assume some of the duties and responsibilities formerly assumed only by a physician
nurs·ery ['nərs-rē, 'nər-sə-] -n
- attentive care : fosterage
- a child's bedroom
- a place where children are temporarily cared for in their parents' absence
- day nursery
- something that fosters, develops, or promotes
- a place in which persons are trained or educated
- an area where plants are grown for transplanting, for use as stocks for budding and grafting, or for sale
- a place where young animals grow or are cared for
nurs·ery·man [-mən] -n
- one whose occupation is the cultivation of plants (as trees and shrubs) esp. for sale
nursery rhyme -n
- a short rhyme for children that often tells a story
nursery school -n
- a school for children usu. under five years
nurse's aide -n
- a worker who assists trained nurses in a hospital by performing unspecialized services (as giving baths)
nurse shark -n
- any of various sharks (as family Ginglymostomatidae)
- a shark ( Ginglymostoma cirratum) of warm waters
nursing -n
- the profession of a nurse
- the duties of a nurse
- proper nursing is difficult work
nursing home -n
- a privately operated establishment providing maintenance and personal or nursing care for persons (as the aged or the chronically ill) who are unable to care for themselves properly
nurs·ling ['nərs-liŋ] -n
- one that is solicitously cared for
- a nursing child
nur·tur·ance ['nər-chə-rən(t)s] -n, adj
- affectionate care and attention
nur·ture ['nər-chər] -n
- training, upbringing
- something that nourishes : food
- the sum of the environmental factors influencing the behavior and traits expressed by an organism
nurture ['nərch-riŋ, 'nər-chə-] -vt, n
- to supply with nourishment
- educate
- to further the development of : foster
nut ['nət] -n, adj
- a hard-shelled dry fruit or seed with a separable rind or shell and interior kernel
- the kernel of a nut
- a dry indehiscent one-seeded fruit with a woody pericarp
- a hard problem or undertaking
- core, heart
- a perforated block usu. of metal that has an internal screw thread and is used on a bolt or screw for tightening or holding something
- the ridge in a stringed instrument (as a violin) over which the strings pass on the upper end of the fingerboard
- a small lump (as of butter)
- a foolish, eccentric, or crazy person
- enthusiast
- nonsense often used interjectionally
- a person's head
- testis
- the amount of money that must be earned in order to break even
- en
- to gather or seek nuts
nu·tate ['nü-,tāt, 'nyü-] -vi
- to exhibit or undergo nutation
nu·ta·tion [nü-'tā-shən, nyü-] -n, adj
- the act of nodding the head
- oscillatory movement of the axis of a rotating body (as the earth) : wobble
- a spontaneous usu. spiral movement of a growing plant part
nutbrown ['nət-'brau̇n] -adj
- of the color of a brown nut
nut·case [-,kās] -n
- nut
nut·crack·er [-,kra-kər] -n
- an implement for cracking nuts
nut·gall [-,gȯl] -n
- a gall that resembles a nut
- such a gall produced on oaks
nut grass -n
- a perennial sedge ( Cyperus rotundus) of wide distribution that has slender rootstocks bearing small edible tubers resembling nuts
- a related sedge ( C. esculentus)
nut·hatch ['nət-,hach] -n
- any of various small tree-climbing chiefly insectivorous birds (family Sittidae and esp. genus Sitta) that have a compact body, a narrow bill, a short tail, and sometimes a black cap
nut·house ['nət-,hau̇s] -n
- a mental hospital
nut·let ['nət-lət] -n
- a small nut
- a small fruit similar to a nut
- the stone of a drupelet
nut·meg ['nət-,meg, -,māg] -n
- an aromatic seed produced by an evergreen tree ( Myristica fragransof the family Myristicaceae, the nutmeg family) native to the Moluccas
- the ground seed used as a spice
- a tree yielding nutmeg
nut·pick ['nət-,pik] -n
- a small sharp-pointed implement for extracting the kernels from nuts
nu·tra·ceu·ti·cal [,nü-trə-'sü-ti-kəl] -n
- a foodstuff (as a fortified food or dietary supplement) that provides health benefits in addition to its basic nutritional value
nu·tria ['nü-trē-ə, 'nyü-] -n
- the durable usu. light brown fur of a nutria
- a large So. American semiaquatic rodent ( Myocastor coypus) with webbed hind feet and a round nearly hairless tail that has been introduced into parts of Europe, Asia, and No. America
nu·tri·ent ['nü-trē-ənt, 'nyü-] -adj
- furnishing nourishment
nutrient -n
- a nutritive substance or ingredient
nu·tri·ment ['nü-trə-mənt, 'nyü-] -n
- something that nourishes or promotes growth, provides energy, repairs body tissues, and maintains life
nu·tri·tion [nu̇-'tri-shən, nyu̇-] -n, adj, adv
- the act or process of nourishing or being nourished
- the sum of the processes by which an animal or plant takes in and utilizes food substances
- nourishment
nu·tri·tion·ist [-'tri-sh(ə-)nist] -n
- a specialist in the study of nutrition
nu·tri·tious [nu̇-'tri-shəs, nyu̇-] -adj, adv, n
- nourishing
nu·tri·tive ['nü-trə-tiv, 'nyü-] -adj, adv
- of or relating to nutrition
- nourishing
nutritive ratio -n
- the ratio of digestible protein to other nutrients in a foodstuff or ration
nuts ['nəts] -adj
- enthusiastic, keen
- nuts for animals and children -- Rick Reilly
- insane, crazy
- said that it was a novel and all the people who said otherwise were nuts -- Flannery O'Connor
nuts and bolts -n, adj
- the working parts or elements
- the practical workings of a machine or enterprise as opposed to theoretical considerations or speculative possibilities
nut·sedge ['nət-,sej] -n
- nut grass
nut·shell ['nət-,shel] -n
- the hard external covering in which the kernel of a nut is enclosed
- something of small size, amount, or scope
nut·ter ['nə-tər] -n
- nut
nut·ty ['nə-tē] -adj, adv, n
- having or producing nuts
- having a flavor like that of nuts
- eccentric, silly
- mentally unbalanced
NuuChahNulth [,nü-'chä-nu̇l] -n
- nootka
nux vom·i·ca ['nəks-'vä-mi-kə] -n
- the poisonous disk-shaped seed of a tree ( Strychnos nux-vomicaof the family Loganiaceae) of southern Asia that contains several alkaloids and esp. strychnine and brucine
- the tree yielding nux vomica
- a drug containing nux vomica
Nu·yo·ri·can [,nü-yȯr-'rē-kən] -n, adj
- a person of Puerto Rican birth or descent who is a current or former resident of New York City
nuz·zle ['nə-zəl] -vb
- to work with or as if with the nose
- to root, rub, or snuff something
- to lie close or snug
- to root, rub, or touch with or as if with the nose
- to rub or push gently (as one's face) against something