Ni -symbol

  1. nickel

ni·a·cin ['nī-ə-sən] -n

  1. an acid C 6H 5NO 2of the vitamin B complex found widely in animals and plants and used esp. against pellagra
  2. nicotinamide called also nicotinic acid

ni·a·cin·amide [,nī-ə-'si-nə-,mīd] -n

  1. a compound C 6H 6N 2O of the vitamin B complex found esp. as a constituent of coenzymes and used similarly to niacin called also nicotinamide

Ni·ag·a·ra [nī-'a-g(ə-)rə] -n

  1. an overwhelming flood : torrent
    • a Niagara of protests

ni·al·amide [nī-'a-lə-,mīd] -n

  1. a synthetic antidepressant drug C 16H 18N 4O 2that is an inhibitor of monoamine oxidase

nib ['nib] -n

  1. bill, beak
  2. the sharpened point of a quill pen
  3. pen point
  4. each of the two divisions of a pen point
  5. a small pointed or projecting part

nib·ble ['ni-bəl] -vb, n

  1. to bite gently
  2. to eat or chew in small bits
  3. to take away bit by bit
    • waves nibbling the shore
  4. to take gentle, small, or cautious bites
  5. snack
  6. to deal with something as if by nibbling

nibble -n

  1. an act of nibbling
  2. a very small quantity or portion (as of food)
  3. snack
  4. a tentative expression of interest

Ni·be·lung ['nē-bə-,lu̇ŋ] -n

  1. a member of a race of dwarfs in Germanic legend
  2. any of the followers of Siegfried
  3. any of the Burgundian kings in the medieval German Nibelungenlied

nibs ['nibz] -n pl but sing in constr

  1. an important or self-important person usu. used in the phrases his nibs or her nibs as if a title of honor

NIC -abbr

  1. network interface card
  2. newly industrialized country; newly industrializing country

ni·cad ['nī-,kad] -n

  1. a rechargeable storage battery that has a nickel cathode and a cadmium anode

nice ['nīs] -adj, adv, n

  1. wanton, dissolute
  2. coy, reticent
  3. showing fastidious or finicky tastes : particular
    • too nice a palate to enjoy junk food
  4. exacting in requirements or standards : punctilious
    • a nice code of honor
  5. possessing, marked by, or demanding great or excessive precision and delicacy
    • nice measurements
  6. trivial
  7. pleasing, agreeable
    • a nice time
    • a nice person
  8. well-executed
    • nice shot
  9. appropriate, fitting
    • not a nice word for a formal occasion
  10. socially acceptable : well-bred
    • from a nice family
  11. virtuous, respectable
    • was taught that nice girls don't do that
  12. polite, kind
    • that's nice of you to say

Ni·cene ['nī-,sēn, nī-'] -adj

  1. of or relating to Nicaea or the Nicaeans
  2. of or relating to the ecumenical church council held in Nicaea in a.d.325 or to the Nicene Creed

Nicene Creed -n

  1. a Christian creed expanded from a creed issued by the first Nicene Council, beginning I believe in one God, and used in liturgical worship

nicenel·ly ['nīs-'ne-lē] -adj, n

  1. marked by euphemism
  2. prudish

nice·ty ['nī-sə-tē, -stē] -n

  1. the quality or state of being nice
  2. an elegant, delicate, or civilized feature
    • enjoy the niceties of life
  3. a fine point or distinction : subtlety
    • the niceties of table manners
  4. careful attention to details : delicate exactness : precision
  5. delicacy of taste or feeling : fastidiousness

niche ['nich also 'nēsh or 'nish] -n

  1. a recess in a wall esp. for a statue
  2. something that resembles a niche
  3. a place, employment, status, or activity for which a person or thing is best fitted
    • finally found her niche
  4. a habitat supplying the factors necessary for the existence of an organism or species
  5. the ecological role of an organism in a community esp. in regard to food consumption
  6. a specialized market
  7. to place in or as if in a niche

Ni·chrome ['nī-,krōm] -trademark

  1. used for an alloy of nickel, chromium, and iron

nick ['nik] -n

  1. a small notch, groove, or chip
  2. a small cut or wound
  3. a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond
  4. a final critical moment
    • in the nick of time
  5. prison
  6. police station
  7. condition
    • in good nick
  8. to jot down : record
  9. to make a nick in : notch, chip
  10. to cut into or wound slightly
    • nick ed himself shaving
  11. to cut short
    • cold weather, which nick ed steel and automobile output -- Time
  12. to catch at the right point or time
  13. cheat, overcharge
  14. arrest
  15. steal
  16. to make petty attacks : snipe
  17. to complement one another genetically and produce superior offspring

nick·el ['ni-kəl] -n

  1. a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst
  2. the U.S. 5-cent piece regularly containing 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper
  3. the Canadian 5-cent piece
  4. five cents
  5. a packet containing five dollars worth of an illicit drug (as marijuana) called also nickel bag
  6. a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs

nick·elanddime [,ni-kəl-ən-'dīm] -adj

  1. involving or offering only a small amount of money
  2. small-time

nickelanddime [,ni-kəld-ən-'dīmd] -vt

  1. to impair, weaken, or defeat piecemeal (as through a series of small incursions or excessive attention to minor details)
  2. to treat (as a person or situation) by paying excessive attention to small amounts of money often with a detrimental effect

nick·el·if·er·ous [,ni-kə-'li-f(ə-)rəs] -adj

  1. containing nickel

nick·el·ode·on [,ni-kə-'lō-dē-ən] -n

  1. an early movie theater to which admission usu. cost five cents
  2. jukebox

nickel silver -n

  1. german silver

nick·er ['ni-kər] -vi, n

  1. neigh, whinny

nicker -n

  1. pound

nicknack ['nik-,nak] -n

(variant of knickknack)

  1. a small trivial article usu. intended for ornament

nick·name ['nik-,nām] -n

  1. a usu. descriptive name given instead of or in addition to the one belonging to a person, place, or thing
  2. a familiar form of a proper name (as of a person or a city)

nickname -vt, n

  1. misname, miscall
  2. to give a nickname to

ni·co·ti·a·na [ni-,kō-shē-'a-nə, -'ä-nə, -'ā-nə] -n

  1. any of several tobaccos (as Nicotiana alata) grown for their showy flowers

nic·o·tin·amide [,ni-kə-'tē-nə-,mīd, -'ti-] -n

  1. niacinamide

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide -n

  1. nad

nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate -n

  1. nadp

nic·o·tine ['ni-kə-,tēn] -n

  1. a poisonous alkaloid C 10H 14N 2that is the chief active principle of tobacco and is used as an insecticide

nic·o·tin·ic [,ni-kə-'tē-nik, -'ti-] -adj

  1. relating to, resembling, producing, or mediating the effects produced by nicotine on nerve fibers at autonomic ganglia and at the neuromuscular junctions of voluntary muscle which increases activity in small doses and inhibits it in larger doses
    • nicotinic receptors

nicotinic acid -n

  1. niacin

nic·ti·tate ['nik-tə-,tāt] -vi

  1. wink

nictitating membrane -n

  1. a thin membrane found in many vertebrates at the inner angle or beneath the lower lid of the eye and capable of extending across the eyeball

NICU -abbr

  1. neonatal intensive care unit

NIDDM -abbr

  1. non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus

ni·dic·o·lous [nī-'di-kə-ləs] -adj

  1. reared for a time in a nest
  2. living in a nest
  3. sharing the nest of another kind of animal

ni·di·fi·ca·tion [,ni-də-fə-'kā-shən, ,nī-] -n

  1. the act, process, or technique of building a nest

ni·dif·u·gous [nī-'di-fyə-gəs] -adj

  1. leaving the nest soon after hatching

ni·dus ['nī-dəs] -n

  1. a nest or breeding place
  2. a place or substance in an animal or plant where bacteria or other organisms lodge and multiply
  3. a place where something originates, develops, or is located

niece ['nēs] -n

  1. a daughter of one's brother, sister, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law
  2. an illegitimate daughter of an ecclesiastic

ni·el·lo [nē-'e-(,)lō] -n

  1. any of several black enamel-like alloys usu. of sulfur with silver, copper, and lead
  2. the art or process of decorating metal with incised designs filled with niello
  3. a piece of metal or an object decorated with niello

niello -vt

  1. to inlay or ornament with niello

ni·fed·i·pine [nə-'fe-də-,pēn, -pən] -n

  1. a calcium channel blocker C 17H 18N 2O 6that is a coronary vasodilator used esp. in the treatment of angina pectoris

Nifl·heim ['ni-vəl-,hām] -n

  1. the abode of the dead in Norse mythology

nif·ty ['nif-tē] -adj, adv

  1. very good : very attractive : fine
    • nifty clothes

nifty -n

  1. something that is nifty
  2. a clever or neatly turned phrase or joke

ni·gel·la [nī-'je-lə] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Nigella) of erect annual herbs of the buttercup family having dissected threadlike leaves and usu. blue or white flowers
  2. love-in-a-mist

Ni·gerCon·go [,nī-jər-'käŋ-(,)gō] -n

  1. a language family that includes the Mande and Kwa branches and that is spoken by most of the indigenous peoples of west, central, and south Africa

nig·gard ['ni-gərd] -n, adj

  1. a meanly covetous and stingy person : miser

niggard -vi

  1. to act niggardly
  2. to treat in a niggardly manner

nig·gard·ly [-lē] -adj, n, adv

  1. grudgingly mean about spending or granting : begrudging
  2. provided in meanly limited supply

nig·ger ['ni-gər] -n

  1. a black person
  2. a member of any dark-skinned race
  3. a member of a socially disadvantaged class of persons
    • it's time for somebody to lead all of America's nigger s ...all the people who feel left out of the political process -- Ron Dellums

nig·gle ['ni-gəl] -vb, n

  1. trifle
  2. to spend too much effort on minor details
  3. to find fault constantly in a petty way : carp
    • she haggles, she niggle s, she wears out our patience -- Virginia Woolf
  4. gnaw
  5. to give stingily or in tiny portions

niggle -n

  1. a trifling doubt, objection, or complaint

nig·gling ['ni-g(ə-)liŋ] -adj, n, adv

  1. petty
  2. bothersome or persistent esp. in a petty or tiresome way
    • niggling injuries

nigh ['nī] -adv

  1. near in place, time, or relationship often used with on, onto, or unto
  2. nearly, almost
  3. close, near
  4. direct, short
  5. being on the left side
    • the nigh horse
  6. near
  7. to draw or come near to : approach
  8. to draw near

night ['nīt] -n, adj

  1. the time from dusk to dawn when no sunlight is visible
  2. an evening or night taken as an occasion or point of time
    • the opening night
  3. an evening set aside for a particular purpose
  4. the quality or state of being dark
  5. : a condition or period felt to resemble the darkness of night: as
  6. a period of dreary inactivity or affliction
  7. absence of moral values
  8. the beginning of darkness : nightfall
  9. of, relating to, or associated with the night
    • night air
  10. intended for use at night
    • a night lamp
  11. existing, occurring, or functioning at night
    • night baseball
    • a night nurse
  12. active or functioning best at night
    • night people

night and day -adv

  1. all the time : continually

night blindness ['nīt-,blīnd] -n, adj

  1. reduced visual capacity in faint light (as at night)

nightblooming cereus -n

  1. any of several night-blooming cacti
  2. a slender sprawling or climbing cactus ( Selenicereus grandiflorus) often cultivated for its large showy fragrant white flowers

night·cap ['nīt-,kap] -n

  1. a cloth cap worn with nightclothes
  2. a usu. alcoholic drink taken at the end of the day
  3. the final race or contest of a day's sports
  4. the second game of a baseball doubleheader

night·clothes [-,klō(th)z] -n pl

  1. garments for wear in bed

night·club [-,kləb] -n

  1. a place of entertainment open at night usu. serving food and liquor and providing music and space for dancing and often having a floor show

nightclub -vi, n

  1. to patronize nightclubs

night court -n

  1. a criminal court in a large city that sits at night (as for rapid disposition of criminal charges and the granting of bail)

night crawler -n

  1. earthworm
  2. a large earthworm found on the soil surface at night and used for fish bait

night·dress ['nīt-,dres] -n

  1. nightgown
  2. nightclothes

night·fall ['nīt-,fȯl] -n

  1. the close of the day : dusk

night·glow [-,glō] -n

  1. airglow seen during the night

night·gown [-,gau̇n] -n

  1. dressing gown
  2. a loose garment for wear in bed

night·hawk [-,hȯk] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Chordeiles) of American nightjars related to the whip-poor-will
  2. a common European nightjar ( Caprimulgus europaeus)
  3. a person who habitually is active late at night

night heron -n

  1. any of various widely distributed nocturnal or crepuscular herons (esp. genus Nycticorax)

night·ie ['nī-tē] -n

  1. a nightgown for a woman or child

night·in·gale ['nī-tᵊn-,gāl, -tiŋ-] -n

  1. an Old World thrush ( Luscinia megarhynchossyn. Erithacus megarhynchos) noted for the sweet usu. nocturnal song of the male
  2. any of various other birds noted for their sweet song or for singing at night

night·jar ['nīt-,jär] -n

  1. any of a family (Caprimulgidae) of medium-sized long-winged crepuscular or nocturnal birds (as the whip-poor-wills and nighthawks) having a short bill, short legs, and soft mottled plumage and feeding on insects which they catch on the wing called also goatsucker

night latch -n

  1. a door lock having a spring bolt operated from the outside by a key and from the inside by a knob

night letter -n

  1. a telegram sent at night at a reduced rate for delivery the following morning

night·life ['nīt-,līf] -n

  1. the activity of or entertainment provided for pleasure-seekers at night (as in nightclubs)
  2. establishments providing nightlife

nightlight [-,līt] -n

  1. a light kept burning throughout the night

night·long [-,lȯŋ] -adj

  1. lasting the whole night
    • nightlong festivities
  2. through the whole night

night·ly [-lē] -adj

  1. happening, done, or used by night or every night
  2. of or relating to the night or every night

nightly -adv

  1. every night
  2. at or by night

night·mare ['nīt-,mer] -n, adj, adv

  1. an evil spirit formerly thought to oppress people during sleep
  2. a frightening dream that usu. awakens the sleeper
  3. something (as an experience, situation, or object) having the monstrous character of a nightmare or producing a feeling of anxiety or terror

night owl -n

  1. a person who keeps late hours at night

night rail [-,rāl] -n

  1. nightgown

night raven -n

  1. a bird that cries at night

night rider -n

  1. a member of a secret band who ride masked at night doing acts of violence for the purpose of punishing or terrorizing

nights ['nīts] -adv

  1. in the nighttime repeatedly : on any night
    • works nights

night·scope ['nīt-,skōp] -n

  1. an optical device usu. using infrared radiation that enables a person to see objects in the dark better

night·shade [-,shād] -n

  1. any of a genus ( Solanumof the family Solanaceae, the nightshade family) of herbs, shrubs, and trees having alternate leaves, cymose flowers, and fruits that are berries and including some poisonous weeds, various ornamentals, and important crop plants (as the potato and eggplant)
  2. belladonna

night·shirt [-,shərt] -n

  1. a nightgown resembling a shirt

night·side [-,sīd] -n

  1. the side of a celestial body (as the earth, the moon, or a planet) not in daylight

night soil -n

  1. human feces used esp. for fertilizing the soil

night·spot ['nīt-,spät] -n

  1. nightclub

night·stand [-,stand] -n

  1. night table

night·stick [-,stik] -n

  1. a police officer's club

night sweats -n pl

  1. profuse sweating during sleep that is sometimes a symptom of febrile disease

night table -n

  1. a small bedside table or stand

night terror -n

  1. a sudden awakening in dazed terror that occurs in children during slow-wave sleep, is often preceded by a sudden shrill cry uttered in sleep, and is not remembered when the child awakes usu. used in pl.

night·time [-,tīm] -n

  1. the time from dusk to dawn

night·walk·er [-,wȯ-kər] -n

  1. a person who roams about at night esp. with criminal intent
  2. prostitute, streetwalker

NIH -abbr

  1. National Institutes of Health
  2. not invented here

ni·hil·ism ['nī-(h)ə-,li-zəm, 'nē-] -n, n or adj, adj

  1. a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded and that existence is senseless and useless
  2. a doctrine that denies any objective ground of truth and esp. of moral truths
  3. a doctrine or belief that conditions in the social organization are so bad as to make destruction desirable for its own sake independent of any constructive program or possibility
  4. the program of a 19th century Russian party advocating revolutionary reform and using terrorism and assassination

Ni·ke ['nī-kē] -n

  1. the Greek goddess of victory

nil ['nil] -n, adj

  1. nothing, zero

nile green -n

  1. a pale yellow green

Nile perch -n

  1. a large predaceous food fish ( Lates niloticus) of the rivers and lakes of northern and central Africa that may exceed 200 pounds (91 kilograms) in weight

nil·gai ['nil-,gī] -n

  1. a large bluish-gray antelope ( Boselaphus tragocamelus) of India and eastern Pakistan with the male having short horns, a black mane, and tuft of long hair on the throat

nill ['nil] -vb

  1. to be unwilling : will not
    • will you nill you, I will marry you -- Shak.
  2. refuse

Ni·lot·ic [nī-'lä-tik] -adj

  1. of or relating to the Nile or the peoples of the Nile basin
  2. of, relating to, or being the languages of the Nilotic people

nil·po·tent ['nil-,pō-tᵊnt] -adj

  1. equal to zero when raised to some power
    • nilpotent matrices

nim ['nim] -vb

  1. steal, filch
  2. thieve
  3. any of various games in which counters are laid out in one or more piles and each player in turn draws one or more counters with the object of taking the last counter, forcing the opponent to take it, or taking the most or fewest counters

nim·ble ['nim-bəl] -adj, n, adv

  1. quick and light in motion : agile
    • nimble fingers
  2. marked by quick, alert, clever conception, comprehension, or resourcefulness
    • a nimble mind
  3. responsive, sensitive
    • a nimble listener

nim·bo·stra·tus [,nim-bō-'strā-təs, -'stra-] -n

  1. a low dark layer of gray cloud usu. producing light continuous rain or snow

nim·bus ['nim-bəs] -n

  1. a luminous vapor, cloud, or atmosphere about a god or goddess when on earth
  2. a cloud or atmosphere (as of romance) about a person or thing
  3. an indication (as a circle) of radiant light or glory about the head of a drawn or sculptured divinity, saint, or sovereign
  4. a rain cloud
  5. thunderhead
  6. cumulus

NIMBY ['nim-bē] -n

  1. opposition to the locating of something considered undesirable (as a prison or incinerator) in one's neighborhood

NIMH -abbr

  1. National Institute of Mental Health

ni·mi·e·ty [ni-'mī-ə-tē] -n

  1. excess, redundancy

nim·i·nypim·i·ny [,ni-mə-nē-'pi-mə-nē] -adj

  1. affectedly refined : finicky

Nim·rod ['nim-,räd] -n

  1. a descendant of Ham represented in Genesis as a mighty hunter and a king of Shinar
  2. hunter
  3. idiot, jerk

nin·com·poop ['nin-kəm-,püp, 'niŋ-] -n

  1. fool, simpleton

nine ['nīn] -n, adj, pron, pl in constr

  1. the ninth in a set or series
    • wears a nine
  2. : something having nine units or members: as
  3. the nine Muses
  4. a baseball team
  5. the first or last nine holes of an 18-hole golf course

nine days' wonder -n

  1. something or someone that creates a short-lived sensation called also nine day wonder

nine·fold ['nīn-,fōld, -'fōld] -adj, adv

  1. being nine times as great or as many
  2. having nine units or members

nine·pin [-,pin] -n

  1. a bowling game resembling tenpins played without the headpin or having the nine pins in a diamond-shaped configuration with one pin in the center
  2. a pin used in ninepins

ninetofiv·er ['nīn-tə-'fī-vər] -n

  1. one who works at a job with regular daytime hours

nine·ty ['nīn-tē] -n, adj or n, adj, pron, pl in constr

  1. the numbers 90 to 99
  2. the years 90 to 99 in a lifetime or century

nin·hy·drin [nin-'hī-drən] -n

  1. a poisonous crystalline oxidizing agent C 9H 6O 4used esp. as an analytical reagent

nin·ja ['nin-jə, -(,)jä] -n

  1. a person trained in ancient Japanese martial arts and employed esp. for espionage and assassinations

nin·ny ['ni-nē] -n

  1. fool, simpleton

nin·ny·ham·mer ['ni-nē-,ha-mər] -n

  1. ninny

ni·non ['nē-,nän] -n

  1. a smooth sheer fabric

ninth ['nīn(t)th] -n, adj or adv

  1. a musical interval embracing an octave and a second
  2. the tone at this interval
  3. a chord containing a ninth

ninth cranial nerve -n

  1. glossopharyngeal nerve

ni·o·bate ['nī-ə-,bāt] -n

  1. a salt containing an anionic grouping of niobium and oxygen

Ni·o·be ['nī-ə-bē] -n

  1. a daughter of Tantalus and wife of Amphion who while weeping for her slain children is turned into a stone from which her tears continue to flow

ni·o·bi·um [nī-'ō-bē-əm] -n

  1. a lustrous light gray ductile metallic element that resembles tantalum chemically and is used in alloys

nip ['nip] -vb

  1. to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points : pinch, bite
    • the dog nipped his ankle
  2. to pinch in (as a garment)
    • a dress nipped at the waist
  3. to sever by or as if by pinching sharply
  4. to destroy the growth, progress, or fulfillment of
    • nipped in the bud
  5. to injure or make numb with cold : chill
  6. snatch, steal
  7. to defeat by a small margin
  8. to move briskly, nimbly, or quickly
  9. to make a quick trip
  10. : something that nips: as
  11. a sharp biting comment
  12. a sharp stinging cold
    • a nip in the air
  13. a biting or pungent flavor : tang
  14. the act of nipping : pinch, bite
  15. the region of a squeezing or crushing device (as a calender) where the rolls or jaws are closest together
  16. a small portion
  17. a small quantity of liquor : sip
  18. a very small bottle of liquor
  19. to take liquor in nips : tipple

ni·pa ['nē-pə] -n

  1. thatch made of leaves of the nipa palm

nip and tuck [,nip-ən(d)-'tək] -adj or adv

  1. being so close that the lead or advantage shifts rapidly from one opponent to another

nipa palm -n

  1. a southeast Asian palm ( Nipa fruticans) growing chiefly along rivers and estuaries and having a short underground trunk and large erect pinnate leaves

nip·per ['ni-pər] -n

  1. any of various devices (as pincers) for nipping usu. used in pl.
  2. a boy employed as a helper (as of a carter or hawker)
  3. child
  4. a small boy

nipping [-lē] -adj, adv

  1. sharp, chilling

nip·ple ['ni-pəl] -n, adj

  1. the protuberance of a mammary gland upon which in the female the lactiferous ducts open and from which milk is drawn
  2. an artificial teat through which a bottle-fed infant nurses
  3. a device with an orifice through which the discharge of a liquid can be regulated
  4. a protuberance resembling or suggesting the nipple of a breast
  5. a small projection through which oil or grease is injected into machinery
  6. a pipe coupling consisting of a short piece of threaded tubing

Nip·pon·ese [,ni-pə-'nēz, -'nēs] -adj, n

  1. japanese

nip·py ['ni-pē] -adj, adv, n

  1. marked by a tendency to nip
    • a nippy dog
  2. brisk, quick, or nimble in movement : snappy
  3. pungent, sharp
  4. chilly, chilling
    • a nippy day

nipup ['nip-,əp] -n

  1. a spring from a supine position to a standing position

ni·qab [ni-'käb] -n

  1. a veil for covering the hair and face except for the eyes that is worn by some Muslim women

nir·va·na [nir-'vä-nə, (,)nər-] -n, adj

  1. the final beatitude that transcends suffering, karma, and samsara and is sought esp. in Buddhism through the extinction of desire and individual consciousness
  2. a place or state of oblivion to care, pain, or external reality
  3. bliss, heaven
  4. a goal hoped for but apparently unattainable : dream

Ni·san ['ni-sᵊn, nē-'sän] -n

  1. the seventh month of the civil year or the first month of the ecclesiastical year in the Jewish calendar

ni·sei [nē-'sā, 'nē-,] -n

  1. a son or daughter of Japanese immigrants who is born and educated in America and esp. in the U.S.

ni·si ['nī-,sī] -adj

  1. taking effect at a specified time unless previously modified or avoided by cause shown, further proceedings, or a condition fulfilled
    • a decree nisi

Nis·sen hut ['ni-sᵊn-] -n

  1. a prefabricated shelter with a semicircular arching roof of corrugated iron sheeting and a concrete floor

NIST -abbr

  1. National Institute of Standards and Technology

ni·sus ['nī-səs] -n

  1. a mental or physical effort to attain an end : a perfective urge or endeavor

nit ['nit] -n

  1. the egg of a louse or other parasitic insect
  2. the insect itself when young
  3. a minor shortcoming
  4. nitwit

NIT -abbr

  1. National Invitational Tournament

nite ['nīt] -n, adj

(variant of night)

  1. the time from dusk to dawn when no sunlight is visible
  2. an evening or night taken as an occasion or point of time
    • the opening night
  3. an evening set aside for a particular purpose
  4. the quality or state of being dark
  5. : a condition or period felt to resemble the darkness of night: as
  6. a period of dreary inactivity or affliction
  7. absence of moral values
  8. the beginning of darkness : nightfall
  9. of, relating to, or associated with the night
    • night air
  10. intended for use at night
    • a night lamp
  11. existing, occurring, or functioning at night
    • night baseball
    • a night nurse
  12. active or functioning best at night
    • night people

ni·ter ['nī-tər] -n

  1. potassium nitrate
  2. chile saltpeter

nit·ery ['nī-tə-rē] -n

  1. nightclub

nit·id ['ni-təd] -adj

  1. bright, lustrous

ni·ti·nol ['nī-tə-,nȯl, -,nōl] -n

  1. a nonmagnetic alloy of titanium and nickel that after being deformed returns to its original shape upon being reheated

nit·pick ['nit-,pik] -vb, n, adj

  1. to engage in nit-picking
  2. to criticize by nit-picking

nitpick·ing ['nit-,pi-kiŋ] -n

  1. minute and usu. unjustified criticism

nitr- -comb form

  1. nitrogen
    • nitr ide
  2. containing the monovalent group NO 2
    • nitro benzene

ni·trate ['nī-,trāt, -trət] -n

  1. a salt or ester of nitric acid
  2. sodium nitrate or potassium nitrate used as a fertilizer

nitrate of soda

  1. sodium nitrate used as a fertilizer

ni·tra·tion [nī-'trā-shən] -n, vt

  1. the process of adding a nitro group to an organic compound

ni·tre ['nī-tər] -n

(variant of niter)

  1. potassium nitrate
  2. chile saltpeter

ni·tric acid ['nī-trik-] -n

  1. a corrosive liquid inorganic acid HNO 3used esp. as an oxidizing agent, in nitrations, and in making organic compounds (as fertilizers, explosives, and dyes)

nitric oxide -n

  1. a colorless poisonous gas NO formed by oxidation of nitrogen or ammonia that is present in the atmosphere and also in mammals where it is synthesized from arginine and oxygen and acts as a vasodilator and as a mediator of cell-to-cell communication

ni·tride ['nī-,trīd] -n

  1. a binary compound of nitrogen with a more electropositive element

nitride -vt

  1. to case-harden (as steel) by causing the surface to absorb nitrogen

ni·tri·fi·ca·tion [,nī-trə-fə-'kā-shən] -n

  1. the oxidation (as by bacteria) of ammonium salts to nitrites and the further oxidation of nitrites to nitrates

ni·tri·fi·er ['nī-trə-,fī(-ə)r] -n

  1. any of the nitrifying bacteria

ni·tri·fy·ing ['nī-trə-,fī-iŋ] -adj

  1. active in or relating to nitrification
    • nitrifying organisms

nitrifying bacteria -n pl

  1. bacteria of a family (Nitrobacteraceae) comprising gram-negative bacteria commonly found in the soil and obtaining energy through the process of nitrification

ni·trile ['nī-trəl, -,trī(-ə)l] -n

  1. an organic cyanide containing the group CN which on hydrolysis yields an acid with elimination of ammonia

ni·trite ['nī-,trīt] -n

  1. a salt or ester of nitrous acid

ni·tro ['nī-(,)trō] -adj

  1. containing or being the monovalent group NO 2united through nitrogen

nitro -n

  1. any of various nitrated products
  2. nitroglycerin

ni·tro·ben·zene [,nī-trō-'ben-,zēn, -ben-'] -n

  1. a poisonous yellow oily liquid C 6H 5NO 2with an almond odor that is used esp. in chemical synthesis (as of aniline)

ni·tro·cel·lu·lose [-'sel-yə-,lōs, -,lōz] -n

  1. any of several nitric-acid esters of cellulose used esp. for making explosives, plastics, and varnishes

ni·tro·fu·ran [,nī-trō-'fyu̇r-,an, -fyu̇-'ran] -n

  1. any of several nitro derivatives of furan used as bacteria-inhibiting agents

ni·tro·gen ['nī-trə-jən] -n, adj

  1. a colorless tasteless odorless element that as a diatomic gas is relatively inert and constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere and that is a constituent of organic compounds found in all living tissues

ni·tro·ge·nase [nī-'trä-jə-,nās, 'nī-trə-jə-, -,nāz] -n

  1. an enzyme of various nitrogen-fixing bacteria that catalyzes the reduction of molecular nitrogen to ammonia

nitrogen balance -n

  1. the difference between nitrogen intake and nitrogen loss in the body or the soil

nitrogen cycle -n

  1. a continuous series of natural processes by which nitrogen passes successively from air to soil to organisms and back to air or soil involving principally nitrogen fixation, nitrification, decay, and denitrification

nitrogen dioxide -n

  1. a toxic reddish brown gas NO 2that is a strong oxidizing agent, is produced by combustion (as of fossil fuels), and is an atmospheric pollutant (as in smog)

nitrogen fixation -n

  1. the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen into a combined form (as ammonia) through chemical and esp. biological action (as that of soil rhizobia)

nitrogenfixer -n

  1. any of various soil microorganisms that are involved in nitrogen fixation

nitrogenfixing -adj

  1. capable of nitrogen fixation
    • nitrogenfixing bacteria

nitrogen mustard -n

  1. any of various toxic blistering compounds analogous to mustard gas but containing nitrogen instead of sulfur

nitrogen narcosis -n

  1. a state of euphoria and confusion similar to that of alcohol intoxication which occurs when nitrogen in normal air enters the bloodstream at increased pressure (as in deep-water diving) called also rapture of the deep

nitrogen oxide -n

  1. : any of several oxides of nitrogen most of which are produced in combustion and are considered to be atmospheric pollutants: as
  2. nitric oxide
  3. nitrogen dioxide
  4. nitrous oxide

nitrogen tetroxide -n

  1. a colorless toxic gas N 2O 4that is a dimer of nitrogen dioxide and that in liquid form is used as an oxidizer in rocket engines

ni·tro·glyc·er·in [,nī-trə-'glis-rən, -'gli-sə-] -n

  1. an oily explosive poisonous liquid C 3H 5N 3O 9used chiefly in making dynamite and in medicine as a vasodilator

ni·tro·meth·ane [,nī-trō-'me-,thān, Brit usu -'mē-] -n

  1. a liquid nitroparaffin CH 3NO 2that is used as an industrial solvent, in chemical synthesis, and as a fuel for rockets and high-performance engines

ni·tro·par·af·fin [-'pa-rə-fən] -n

  1. any of various nitro derivatives of alkanes

nitros- -comb form

  1. containing the group NO
    • nitros amine

ni·tro·sa·mine [nī-'trō-sə-,mēn] -n

  1. any of various organic compounds which are characterized by the grouping NNO and some of which are powerful carcinogens

ni·trous ['nī-trəs] -adj

  1. of, relating to, or containing niter

nitrous acid -n

  1. an unstable acid HNO 2known only in solution or in the form of its salts or esters

nitrous oxide -n

  1. a colorless gas N 2O that when inhaled produces loss of sensibility to pain preceded by exhilaration and sometimes laughter, that is used esp. as an anesthetic in dentistry and as a fuel, and that is an atmospheric pollutant and greenhouse gas produced by combustion called also laughing gas

nit·tygrit·ty ['ni-tē-,gri-tē, ,ni-tē-'] -n, adj

  1. what is essential and basic : specific practical details
    • get down to the nittygritty of the problem

nit·wit ['nit-,wit] -n

  1. a scatterbrained or stupid person

NIU -abbr

  1. network interface unit

nix ['niks] -n

  1. nothing
  2. veto, reject
    • the court nix ed the merger
  3. no used to express disagreement or the withholding of permission often used with on
    • they said nix on our plan
  4. a water sprite of Germanic folklore

nix·ie ['nik-sē] -n

  1. nix

ni·zam [ni-'zäm, 'nī-,zam, nī-'] -n

  1. one of a line of sovereigns of Hyderabad, India, reigning from 1713 to 1950