21 definitions found for n

N N is the fourteenth letter of the English Alphabet, and an articulation formed by placing the end of the tongue against the root of the upper teeth. It is an imperfect mute or semi-vowel, and a nasal letter; the articulation being accompanied with a sound through the nose. It has one sound only, and after m is silent or nearly so, as in hymn and condemn. N, among the ancients, was a numeral letter signifying 900, and with a stroke over it, 9000. Among the lawyers, N. L. stood for non liquet, the case is not clear. In commerce, No. Is an abbreviation of the French nombre, and stands for number. N.S. stands for New Style.

N n 1: a common nonmetallic element that is normally a colorless odorless tasteless inert diatomic gas; constitutes 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume; a constituent of all living tissues [syn: nitrogen, N, atomic number 7] 2: the cardinal compass point that is at 0 or 360 degrees [syn: north, due north, northward, N] 3: a unit of force equal to the force that imparts an acceleration of 1 m/sec/sec to a mass of 1 kilogram; equal to 100,000 dynes [syn: newton, N] 4: (of a solution) concentration expressed in gram equivalents of solute per liter [syn: normality, N] 5: the 14th letter of the Roman alphabet [syn: N, n]

n - negative

(n.) c.1384, from O.Fr. acte, from L. actus "a doing" and actum "a thing done," both from agere "to do, set in motion, drive," from PIE root *ag- "to drive, draw, move" (cf. Gk. agein "to lead, guide, drive, carry off," agon "assembly, contest in the games," agogos "leader;" Skt. ajati "drives," ajirah "moving, active;" O.N. aka "to drive"). Theatrical (1520) and legislative (1458) senses of the word also were in L. The verb is first attested 1475; in the theatrical performance sense it is from 1594. In the act "in the process" is from 1596, originally from the 16c. sense of the act as "sexual intercourse." Act of God "uncontrollable natural force" first recorded 1882. To act out "behave anti-socially" (1974) is from psychiatric sense of "expressing one's unconscious impulses or desires."

n alternative philosophy and human potential movement, 1966, from Esalen Institute in Big Sur, Calif., from Esselen, name of an extinct Native American people of the California coast.

N in nickname, newt, and Brit. dial. naunt, the -n- belongs to a preceding indefinite article an or possessive pronoun mine. The loss of it to a preceding a is more common: apron, auger, adder, umpire, humble pie, etc.

n 1945, proprietary name registered in U.S. by du Pont, from chemical name polytetrafluoroethylene + arbitrary ending -on; popularized as a coating of non-stick pans in 1960s; metaphoric extension is 1980s, especially in reference to U.S. President Ronald Reagan.

n.) O.E. man, mann "human being, person," from P.Gmc. *manwaz (cf. O.S., O.H.G. man, Ger. Mann, O.N. ma?ur, Goth. manna "man"), from PIE base *man- (cf. Skt. manuh, Avestan manu-, O.C.S. mozi, Rus. muzh "man, male"). Sometimes connected to root *men- "to think" (see mind), which would make the ground sense of man "one who has intelligence," but not all linguists accept this. Plural men (Ger. M?nner) shows effects of i-mutation. Sense of "adult male" is late (c.1000); O.E. used wer and wif to distinguish the sexes, but wer began to disappear late 13c. and was replaced by man. Universal sense of the word remains in mankind (from O.E. mancynn, from cynn "kin") and in manslaughter (q.v.). Similarly, L. had homo "human being" and vir "adult male human being," but they merged in V.L., with homo extended to both senses. A like evolution took place in Slavic languages, and in some of them the word has narrowed to mean "husband." PIE had two stems: *uiHro "freeman" (cf. Skt. vira-, Lith. vyras, L. vir, O.Ir. fer, Goth. wair) and *hner "man," a title more of honor than *uiHro (cf. Skt. nar-, Armenian ayr, Welsh ner, Gk. aner). The chess pieses so called from c.1400. As an interjection of surprise or emphasis, first recorded c.1400, but especially popular from early 20c. Man-about-town is from 1734; the Man "the boss" is from 1918. Men's Liberation first attested 1970. "At the kinges court, my brother, Ech man for himself." [Chaucer, "Knight's Tale," c.1386]

N I. abbreviation newton II. symbol nitrogen

n I. noun (plural n's or ns) Usage: often capitalized, often attributive Date: before 12th century 1. a. the 14th letter of the English alphabet b. a graphic representation of this letter c. a speech counterpart of orthographic n 2. a graphic device for reproducing the letter n 3. a. one designated n especially as the 14th in order or class b. an indefinite number; especially a constant integer or a variable taking on integral values 4. something shaped like the letter N 5. the haploid or gametic number of chromosomes 6. en 2 II. abbreviation 1. name 2. nano- 3. navy 4. net 5. neuter 6. usually italic neutron 7. noon 8. normal 9. north; northern 10. note 11. noun 12. number

'n
conj. (also 'n') colloq. and.
Etymology: abbr.

-n
1.
suffix see -EN(2).
2.
suffix see -EN(3).

N
1.
n. (also n) (pl. Ns or N's)
1 the fourteenth letter of the alphabet.
2 Printing en.
3 Math. an indefinite number.
Phrases and idioms:
to the nth (or nth degree)
1 Math. to any required power.
2 to any extent; to the utmost.
2.
abbr. (also N.)
1 North; Northern.
2 newton(s).
3 Chess knight.
4 New.
5 nuclear.
3.
symb. Chem. the element nitrogen.

n
abbr. (also n.)
1 name.
2 nano-.
3 neuter.
4 noon.
5 note.
6 noun.

n abbr. (also n.) 1 name. 2 nano-. 3 neuter. 4 noon. 5 note. 6 noun.

York use York" use` (Eccl.) The one of the three printed uses of England which was followed in the north. It was based on the Sarum use. See Use, n., 6. --Shipley.

N N ([e^]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, [sect][sect] 243-246. Note: The letter N came into English through the Latin and Greek from the Ph[oe]nician, which probably derived it from the Egyptian as the ultimate origin. It is etymologically most closely related to M. See M.

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

Uxorious Ux*o"ri*ous, a. [L. uxorius, fr. uxor a wife.] Excessively fond of, or submissive to, a wife; being a dependent husband. ``Uxorious magistrates.'' --Milton. How wouldst thou insult, When I must live uxorious to thy will In perfect thraldom! --Milton. -- Uxo*o"ri*ous*ly, adv. -- Ux*o"ri*ous*ness, n.

Valiant Val"iant, a. [OE. valiant, F. vaillant, OF. vaillant, valant, originally p. pr. of OF. & F. valoir to be worth, L. valere to be strong. See Wield, and cf. Avail, Convalesce, Equivalent, Prevail, Valid.] 1. Vigorous in body; strong; powerful; as, a valiant fencer. [Obs.] --Walton. 2. Intrepid in danger; courageous; brave. A valiant and most expert gentleman. --Shak. And Saul said to David . . . be thou valiant for me, and fight the Lord's battles. --1 Sam. xviii. 17. 3. Performed with valor or bravery; heroic. ``Thou bearest the highest name for valiant acts.'' --Milton. [The saints] have made such valiant confessions. --J. H. Newman. -- Val"iant*ly, adv. -- Val"iant*ness, n.

N /N/ quant. 1. A large and indeterminate number of objects: "There were N bugs in that crock!" Also used in its original sense of a variable name: "This crock has N bugs, as N goes to infinity." (The true number of bugs is always at least N + 1; see Lubarsky's Law of Cybernetic Entomology.) 2. A variable whose value is inherited from the current context. For example, when a meal is being ordered at a restaurant, N may be understood to mean however many people there are at the table. From the remark "We'd like to order N wonton soups and a family dinner for N - 1" you can deduce that one person at the table wants to eat only soup, even though you don't know how many people there are (see great-wall). 3. `Nth': adj. The ordinal counterpart of N, senses 1 and 2. "Now for the Nth and last time..." In the specific context "Nth-year grad student", N is generally assumed to be at least 4, and is usually 5 or more (see tenured graduate student). See also random numbers, two-to-the-N.