A- (3) prefix meaning "not," from Gk a-, an- "not," from pie base *ne "not" (see un-)

no-smoking (adj.) --- 1944, from no + smoking.

nostalgia --- 1770, "severe homesickness" (considered as a disease), Mod.L. (cf. Fr. nostalgie, 1802), coined 1668 by Johannes Hofer as a rendering of Ger. heimweh, from Gk. nostos "homecoming" + algos "pain, grief, distress." Transferred sense (the main modern one) of "wistful yearning for the past" first recorded 1920.

Nostradamus --- a prophet, seer, 1668, from Fr., from Latinized name of Michel de Nostredame (1503-66), physician and astrologer, who published a famous collection of prophesies in 1555.

nostril --- O.E. nosþyrl, lit. "the hole of the nose," from nosu "nose" + þyrel "hole," from þurh "through."

nostrum --- quack medicine, 1602, from L. nostrum remedium "our remedy," presumably that prepared by the person offering it, from L. nostrum, neut. of noster "our," from nos "we," from PIE *nos (see us).

nosy --- 1620, "having a prominent nose" (see nose); sense of "inquisitive" first recorded 1882. Nosey Parker as a name for an inquisitive person is from 1907.

not --- negative particle, c.1250, unstressed variant of noht, naht "in no way" (see naught). As an interjection to negate what was said before or reveal it as sarcasm, it is first attested 1900; popularized 1989 by "Wayne's World" sketches on "Saturday Night Live" TV show. To not know X from Y (one's ass from one's elbow, shit from Shinola, etc.) was a construction first attested c.1930. Shinola was a brand of shoe polish. Double negative construction not un- was derided by Orwell, but is persistent and ancient in English, popular with Milton and the Anglo-Saxon poets.

nota bene --- mark well, observe particularly, c.1721, from L. nota, second person sing. imper. of notare "to mark" + bene "well."

notable --- c.1340, from O.Fr. notable (13c.), from L. notabilis "noteworthy, extraordinary," from notare "to note," from nota (see note). The noun meaning "a person of distinction" is first recorded 1815.

notary --- 1303, "clerk, secretary," from O.Fr. notarie, from L. notarius "shorthand writer, clerk, secretary," from notare, "to note," from nota "shorthand character, letter, note" (see note). Meaning "person authorized to attest contracts, etc." is from 1340; esp. in notary public (1494), which has the Fr. order of subject-adj.

notation --- 1570, "explanation of a term," from L. notationem (nom. notatio) "a marking, notation, explanation," from notatus, pp. of notare "to note." Meaning "system of representing numbers or quantities by signs or symbols" is attested from 1706.

notch (n.) --- 1577, probably a misdivision of an otch, from M.Fr. oche "notch," from O.Fr. ochier "to notch," of unknown origin. Not connected with nock (q.v.). The verb is from 1597.

note (v.) --- c.1225, "observe, mark carefully," from O.Fr. noter, from L. notare, from nota "letter, note," originally "a mark, sign," possibly an alteration of Old L. *gnata, infl. by gnoscere "to recognize." Meaning "to set in writing" is from c.1400. The noun is first attested c.1300, in the musical sense; meaning "brief writing" is from 1548. Notebook is first attested 1579; noteworthy is from 1552.

nothing --- O.E. naþing, from nan "not one" (see none) + þing "thing." Nothingness "non-existence" first recorded c.1631.

notice (n.) --- c.1412, "information, intelligence," from L. notitia "a being known, fame, knowledge," from notus "known," pp. of (g)noscere "come to know, to get to know, get acquainted (with)," from PIE *gno-sko-, a suffixed form of root *gno- (see know). Sense of "formal warning" is attested from 1594. Meaning "a sign giving information" is from 1805. The verb is attested from c.1450, originally "to notify;" sense of "to point out" is from 1627. Meaning "to take notice of" is attested from 1757, but was long execrated in England as an Americanism (occasionally as a Scottishism, the two crimes not being clearly distinguished).

notify --- c.1374, from O.Fr. notifier "make known," from L. notus "known" (see notice) + root of facere "make, do" (see factitious).

notion --- 1533 (implied in notional), from L. notionem (nom. notio) "concept," from notus, pp. of noscere "come to know" (see know). Coined by Cicero as a loan-translation of Gk. ennoia "act of thinking, notion, conception," or prolepsis "previous notion, previous conception." Notions "miscellaneous articles" (1805, Amer.Eng.) springs from the idea of "clever invention."

notorious --- 1548, "publicly known," from M.L. notorius "well-known, commonly known," from L. notus "known," pp. of noscere "come to know" (see know). Negative connotation arose 17c. from frequent association with derogatory nouns.

notwithstanding --- c.1380, notwiþstondynge, from not + prp. of the verb withstand (q.v.). A loan-translation of L. non obstante "being no hindrance."

nougat --- sweetmeat of almonds and other nuts, 1827, from Fr. nougat, from Prov. nougat "cake made with almonds," from O.Prov. nogat "nutcake," from noga, nuga "nut," from V.L. *nucatum (nom. *nuca), from L. nux (gen. nucis) "nut" (see nucleus).

nought --- O.E. no-wiht "nothing," variant of nawiht (see naught). Meaning "zero, cipher" is from 1660.

noumenon --- 1796, "object of intellectual intuition" (opposed to a phenomenon), term introduced by Kant, from Gk. noumenon "that which is perceived," neut. passive prp. of noeo "I perceive by the mind" (from noos "mind"), with passive suffix -menos.

noun --- 1398, from Anglo-Fr. noun "name, noun," from O.Fr. nom, non, from L. nomen "name, noun" (see name).

nourish --- c.1290, "to bring up, nurture" (a child, a feeling, etc.), from O.Fr. norriss-, stem of norrir (Fr. nourir), from L. nutrire "to feed, nurse, foster, support, preserve," from *nutri (older form of nutrix "nurse"), lit. "she who gives suck," from PIE base *(s)nu- "flow, let flow," hence "to suckle" (cf. Skt. snauti "she drips, gives milk," Gk. nao "I flow").

nouveau riche --- 1813, from Fr., lit. "new rich." Opposite noveau pauvre is attested from 1965.

nouvelle --- short fictitious narrative dealing with a single situation or aspect of a character, 1680, from Fr., lit. "new" (see novel (adj.)).

nouvelle cuisine --- style of cooking emphasizing freshness and presentation, 1975, from Fr., lit. "new cooking."

nova --- 1877, from L. nova, fem. sing. adj. of novus "new" (see new), used with stella "star" (a fem. noun in L.) to describe a new star not previously known. Plural is novæ.

novel (adj.) --- new, strange, unusual, c.1420, but little used before 1600, from M.Fr. novel "new, fresh, recent" (Fr. nouveau, fem. nouvelle), from O.Fr., from L. novellus "new, young, recent," dim. of novus "new" (see new).

novel (n.) --- fictitious narrative, 1566, from It. novella "short story," originally "new story," from L. novella "new things" (cf. M.Fr. novelle, Fr. nouvelle), neut. pl. or fem. of novellus (see novel (adj.)). Originally "one of the tales or short stories in a collection" (esp. Boccaccio), later (1643) "long work of fiction," works which had before that been called romances. Novelist "writer of novels" is 1728, infl. by It. novellista.

novelty --- 1382, from O.Fr. novelté "newness," from novel "new" (see novel (adj.)). Meaning "newness" is attested from 1398; sense of "useless but amusing object" is attested from 1901 (e.g. novelty shop, 1973).

November --- c.1200, from O.Fr. novembre, from L. November (also Novembris (mensis)), from novem "nine" (see nine). The ninth month of the Roman calendar, which began in March. For -ber see December. In O.E., it was Blotmonað "month of sacrifice," lit. "blood-month," the time when the early Saxons prepared for winter by sacrificing many animals, which they then butchered and stored for food.

novena --- 1745, from M.L. novena, fem. of L. novenus "ninefold," from novem "nine" (see nine). Devotions consisting of special prayers or services on nine successive days.

novice --- 1340, "probationer in a religious order," from O.Fr. novice, from M.L. novicius, noun use of L. novicius "newly imported, inexperienced" (of slaves), from novus "new" (see new). Meaning "inexperienced person" is attested from 1432.

novocain --- 1905, originally a trademark name for procaine (by Lucius & Brüning, Hoechst am Main, Germany), from L. novus "new" + Eng. -caine, abstracted from cocaine. As a local anaesthetic, it began as a substitute for cocaine.

Novus Ordo Seclorum --- on the Great Seal of the United States of America, is apparently an allusion to line 5 of Virgil's "Eclogue IV," in an 18c. edition: Magnus ab integro seclorum nasitur ordo "The great series of ages begins anew." The seal's designer, Charles Thomson, wrote that the words "signify the beginnings of the New American Era." (see Annuit Coeptis).

now --- O.E. nu, common Gmc. (cf. O.N. nu, Du. nu, O.Fris. nu, Ger. nun, Goth. nu "now"), from PIE *nu (cf. Skt., Avestan nu, O.Pers. nuram, Hittite nuwa, Gk. nu, nun, L. nunc, O.C.S. nyne, Lith. nu, O.Ir. nu-). Often merely emphatic; non-temporal usage (cf. Now, then) was in O.E. The adj. meaning "up to date" first recorded 1967.

nowadays --- 1474, contracted from M.E. nou A dayes (1362), from now + adayes "during the day," with adverbial gen.

nowhere --- O.E. nahwær; see no + where. Similar constructions were attempted with nowhat (1530) and nowhen (1764), but they failed to take hold and remain nonce words.

no-win --- 1962, in ref. to a situation where victory is impossible, from no + win.

noxious --- 1612, from L. noxius "hurtful, injurious," from noxa "injury, hurt, damage entailing liability" (related to nocere "to hurt," and to nex "slaughter"), from PIE *nek-ro-, causative form of root *nek- "death" (see necro-).

nozzle --- mid-15c., noselle "socket on a candlestick," dim. of nose (see nose). Meaning "small spout" first recorded 1683.

nth --- 1852, in phrase to the nth, figurative use of a mathematical term indicating indefinite number, in which n is an abbreviation for number.

nuance --- 1781, from Fr. nuance "slight difference, shade of color," from nuer "to shade," from nue "cloud," from Gallo-Romance *nuba, from L. nubes "cloud;" related to obnubere "to veil," from PIE *sneudh- "fog" (cf. Avestan snaoda "clouds," Welsh nudd "fog," Gk. nython, in Hesychius "dark, dusky").

nub --- 1594, variant of dialectal knub, probably a variant of knob. Figurative meaning "point, gist" first recorded 1834.

nubbin --- dwarfed or imperfect ear of corn, 1692, Amer.Eng. dim. of nub (q.v.).

nubile --- 1642, "marriageable" (said of a woman), from Fr. nubile, from L. nubilis "marriageable," from stem of nubere "take as husband." First used 1973 in sense of "sexually attractive."

nuclear --- 1846, "of or like the nucleus of a cell," from nucleus (q.v.), probably by influence of Fr. nucléaire. Use in atomic physics is from 1914; of weapons, from 1945. Hence nuclear physics (1933), nuclear energy (1941), nuclear war (1954). Nuclear winter coined by Richard Turco, but first attested in article by Carl Sagan in "Parade" magazine, Oct. 30, 1983. General sense of "central" is from 1912. Nuclear family, originally a sociologists' term, is first attested 1949 in "Social Structure," by American anthropologist G.P. Murdock (1897–1985).

nucleic acid --- 1892, translation of Ger. Nukleinsäure (1889), from Nuklein "substance obtained from a cell nucleus."

nucleus --- 1704, "kernel of a nut," 1708, "head of a comet," from L. nucleus "kernel," from nucula "little nut," dim. of nux (gen. nucis) "nut," from PIE *knu(k) "lump" (cf. M.Ir. cnu, Welsh cneuen, M.Bret. knoen "nut," O.N. hnot, O.E. hnutu "nut"). General sense of "central part or thing, about which others cluster" is from 1762. Use in reference to cells first recorded 1831. Modern atomic meaning is 1912, first by Ernest Rutherford, though theoretical use for "central point of an atom" is from 1844, in Faraday.

nude --- 1531, a legal term, "unsupported, not formally attested," from L. nudus "naked, bare" (see naked). General sense of "mere, plain, simple" attested from 1551. In ref. to the human body, meaning "unclothed" is an artistic euphemism for naked, dating from 1611 (implied in nudity). Nudism is a 1929 borrowing from Fr. nudisme; nudist "one who practices nudism" appeared at the same time.

nudge (n.) --- complainer, nagger, 1960s, from Yiddish, from Slavic words meaning "fret, ache," realted to the root of nudnik (q.v.).

nudge (v.) --- to push slightly with the elbow, 1675, perhaps from Scand. (cf. Norw. nugge, nyggje "to jostle, rub;" Icelandic nugga "to rub, massage"). The noun is attested from 1836.

nudnik --- 1947, from Yiddish, with agential suffix -nik (q.v.) + Pol. nuda "boredom" or Rus. nudnyi "tedious, boring," from O.C.S. *nauda-, from PIE *neuti- "need" from root *nau- "death, to be exhausted" (see need).

nugatory --- trifling, of no value, 1603, from L. nugatorius "worthless, futile," from nugator (gen. nugatoris) "jester, trifler," from nugatus, pp. of nugari "to trifle," from nugæ (gen. nugarum) "jokes, jests, trifles," of unknown origin.

nugget --- 1852, "lump of gold," probably from southwestern England dialectal nug "lump," of unknown origin. Another theory is that it is a misdivision of an ingot. Transf. sense is from 1859.

nuisance --- c.1410, "injury, hurt, harm," from Anglo-Fr. nusaunce, from O.Fr. nuisance, from pp. stem of nuire "to harm," from L. nocere "to hurt" (see noxious). Sense has softened over time, to "anything obnoxious to a community" (bad smells, pests, eyesores), 1661, then "source of annoyance, something personally disagreeable" (1831). Applied to persons from 1695.

nuke --- short for nuclear weapon, 1959, U.S. military slang (see nuclear). The verb is attested from 1962; the sense of "to cook in a microwave oven" is from 1987.

null --- void of legal force, 1563, from M.Fr. nul, from L. nullus "not any, none," from ne- "not, no" (see un-) + illus "any," dim. of unus "one."

nullify --- 1595, from L.L. nullificare "to esteem lightly, despise, to make nothing," from L. nullus "not any" (see null) + root of facere "to make" (see factitious). Nullification in U.S. political sense of "a state's refusing to allow a federal law to be enforced" is first attested 1798, in Thomas Jefferson, from L.L. nullificationem (nom. nullificatio) "a making as nothing."

numb --- 1440, nome, lit. "taken, seized," from pp. of nimen "to take, seize," from O.E. niman "to take" (see nimble). The extraneous -b (to conform to comb, limb, etc.) appeared 17c. The notion is of being "taken" with palsy, shock, and especially cold. The verb is from 1602.

number --- 1297, "sum, aggregate of a collection," from Anglo-Fr. noumbre, from O.Fr. nombre, from L. numerus "a number, quantity," from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (related to Gk. nemein "to deal out;" see nemesis). Meaning "symbol or figure of arithmatic value" is from c.1391. The meaning "musical selection" is from vaudeville theater programs, where acts were marked by a number. The verb meaning "to count" is from 1297. Number one "oneself" is from 1704 (mock-It. form numero uno attested from 1973); the biblical Book of Numbers (c.1400, L. Numeri, Gk. Arithmoi) so called because it begins with a census of the Israelites. No., "abbreviation for 'number,' " is from It. numero. Slang number one and number two for "urinate" and "defecate" attested from 1902. Number cruncher is 1966, of machines; 1971, of persons. To get or have (someone's) number "have someone figured out" is attested from 1853. The numbers "illegal lottery" is from 1897, Amer.Eng.

numeral --- 1530, from M.Fr. numéral (1474), from L.L. numeralis "of or belonging to a number," from L. numerus "number" (see number).

numerical --- 1628, from L. numerus "number" + suffix -ical. Perhaps by influence of Fr. numérique "of a number or numbers."

numerology --- 1911, "study of the occult meaning of numbers," a hybrid from L. numerus "number" + Gk. -logia, from logos "one who speaks (of a certain topic)." A correct formation would be arithmology, from Gk. arithmos "number."

numerous --- c.1586, from L. numerosus "numerous," from numerus "number" (see number).

numinous --- divine, spiritual, 1647, from L. numen (gen. numinis) "divine will," properly "divine approval expressed by nodding the head," from nuere "to nod" (cf. Gk. neuein "to nod").

numismatics --- 1829, "study of coins," from numismatic (adj.) "of coins," borrowed 1792 from Fr. numismatique (1579), from L. numisma (gen. numismatis) "coin, currency," from Gk. nomisma "current coin," lit. "what has been sanctioned by custom or usage," from nomizein "have in use, adopt a custom," from nomos "custom, law, usage," from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (see nemesis).

numskull --- 1717, from num (see numb) + skull. Numskulled (adj.) is attested from 1706.

nun --- O.E. nunne, from L.L. nonna "nun, tutor," originally (along with masc. nonnus) a term of address to elderly persons, perhaps from children's speech, reminiscent of nana (cf. Skt. nona, Pers. nana "mother," Gk. nanna "aunt," Serbo-Cr. nena "mother," It. nonna, Welsh nain "grandmother;" see nanny). Nunnery, c.1275, originally meant "nunhood." Sense of "house of ill-fame" is first recorded 1593.

nuncheon --- 1353, "slight refreshment," originally taken in the afternoon, from none "noon" (see noon) + shench (from O.E. scenc) "draught, cup."

nuncio --- papal envoy, 1528, from It. nuncio (now nunzio), from L. nuntius "messenger," from PIE base *neu- "to shout" (cf. Gk. neuo "to nod, beckon," O.Ir. noid "make known").

nuptial --- 1490, from L. nuptialis "pertaining to marriage," from nuptiæ "wedding," from nupta, fem. pp. of nubere "take as a husband," related to Gk. nymphe "bride," from PIE *sneubho- "to marry, wed" (cf. O.C.S. snubiti "to love, woo," Czech snoubiti "to seek in marriage," Slovak zasnubit "to betroth").

Nuremberg --- Ger. Nürnberg, city in northern Bavaria, associated with the Nazis and site of mass party rallies every September during the Third Reich. The Nuremberg Laws (1935) barred Jews from Ger. citizenship and forbid intermarriage with Aryans. The Nuremberg trials for war crimes and crimes against humanity were held 1945-6.

nurse (n.1) --- 12c., nurrice "wet nurse, foster-mother to a young child," from O.Fr. norrice (source of proper name Norris), from L.L. *nutricia "nurse, governess, tutoress," from L., fem. of nutricius "that suckles, nourishes," from nutrix (gen. nutricis) "wet nurse," from nutrire "to suckle" (see nourish). Meaning "person who takes care of sick" first recorded in Eng. 1590; the verb is first attested 1535 in sense of "to suckle (an infant)," 1526 in the passive sense, alt. of M.E. nurshen (13c.; see nourish), originally "to bring up or suckle a child," sense of "take care of (a sick person)" is first recorded 1736.

nurse (n.2) --- dog fish, shark, 1499, of unknown origin.

nursery --- c.1400, "breeding, nursing," from O.Fr. norture, from L.L. nutritia "a nursing, suckling," from L. nutrire "to nourish, suckle." Meaning "place or room for infants and young children and their nurse" is from 1499. As a type of school, 1581. Nursery rhyme is from 1832. Horticultural sense is from 1565.

nurture --- c.1330 (n.), "breeding, upbringing," from O.Fr. nourriture "nourishment," from L.L. nutritia (see nursery). The verb meaning "to feed or nourish" is attested from c.1430.

nut --- hard seed, O.E. hnutu, from P.Gmc. *khnut- (cf. O.N. hnot, Du. noot, O.H.G. hnuz, Ger. nuß "nut"), from PIE *knu- "lump" (cf. L. nux, see nucleus). Sense of "testicle" is attested from 1915. Nuts as a derisive retort is attested from 1931. The nut that goes onto a bolt is first recorded 1611 (used of other small mechanical pieces since 1426). Amer.Eng. slang sense of "amount of money required for something" is first recorded 1912. Nuts and bolts "fundamentals" is from 1960.

nuthatch --- c.1340, probably is so called from its habit of breaking open and eating nuts; from nut + second element related to hack (v.) and hatchet.

nutmeg --- hard aromatic seed of the East Indies, c.1300, from O.N.Fr. or Anglo-Fr. *noiz mugue, from O.Fr. nois muguete, unexplained alt. of nois muscade "nut smelling like musk," from nois "nut" (from L. nux) + L. muscada, fem. of muscat "musky" (see muscat). Probably influenced in Eng. by M.L. nux maga (cf. unaltered Du. muskaatnoot, Ger. muscatnuß, Swed. muskotnöt). Amer.Eng. colloquial wooden nutmeg "anything false or fraudulent" is from 1830. Connecticut is called the Nutmeg State "in allusion to the story that wooden nutmegs are there manufactured for exportation." [John Russell Bartlett, "Dictionary of Americanisms," 1859]

nutrient --- 1650 (adj.), "providing nourishment," from L. nutrientem (nom. nutriens), prp. of nutrire "nourish" (see nourish). The noun meaning "a nutritious substance" is first attested 1828, from the adj.

nutrition --- 1551 (nutritive is recorded from c.1400), from L. nutritionem (nom. nutritio) "a nourishing," from nutrire "nourish, suckle" (see nourish). Nutritious is first attested 1665, from L. nutricius "that which nourishes, nurses," from nutrix (gen. nutricis) "a nurse," from nutrire. First record of nutritionist is from 1926.

nuts (adj.) --- crazy, 1846, from earlier be nutts upon "be very fond of" (1785), which is possibly from nuts (n., pl.) "any source of pleasure" (1617), from nut (q.v.). Sense influenced probably by metaphoric application of nut to "head" (1846, e.g. to be off one's nut "be insane," 1860). Nut "crazy person, crank" is attested from 1903, (British form nutter first attested 1958). Connection with the slang "testicle" sense has tended to nudge it toward taboo. "On the N.B.C. network, it is forbidden to call any character a nut; you have to call him a screwball." ["New Yorker," Dec. 23, 1950] "Please eliminate the expression 'nuts to you' from Egbert's speech." [Request from the Hays Office regarding the script of "The Bank Dick," 1940] This desire for avoidance accounts for the euphemism nerts (c.1925). Nutty "crazy" is first attested 1898.

nutshell --- c.1205, nute-scalen; see nut + shell. Fig. use with ref. to "great condensation" (1579) is in allusion to a copy of the Iliad, mentioned by Pliny, which was so small it could fit into the shell of a nut.

nuzzle --- c.1425, noselyng "on the nose, prostrate," freq. of nose (v.); meaning "burrow with the nose" is first attested 1530; that of "lie snug" is from 1597, influenced by nestle, or by nursle, freq. of nurse.

nylon --- 1938, coined, according to DuPont, from random generic syllable nyl- + -on, common ending in fiber names (cf. rayon), ult. from cotton. See "Women's Wear Daily," Feb. 9, 1940, for explanation of the name. Use (in pl.) for "nylon stockings" is from 1940.

nymph --- 1390, "class of semi-divine female beings," from O.Fr. nimphe, from L. nympha "nymph, bride," from Gk. nymphe "bride," later "beautiful young woman," then "semi-divine being in the form of a beautiful maiden;" related to L. nubere "to marry, wed" (see nuptial). Sub-groups include dryads, hamadryads, naiads, nereids, and oreads. Sense in Eng. of "young woman, girl" is attested from 1584. Meaning "insect stage between larva and adult" is recorded from 1577. Nymphet "sexually attractive young girl" is from 1955, introduced by Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977) in his novel "Lolita" to describe alluring (in the eyes of some men) girls age 9 to 14.

nymphomania --- 1775, in Eng. translation of "Nymphomania, or a Dissertation Concerning the Furor Uterinus," by Fr. doctor M.D.T. Bienville, coined from Gk. nymphe "bride" + mania "madness," perhaps influenced by earlier Fr. nymphomanie. Defined as "a female disease characterized by morbid and uncontrollable sexual desire." Also coined in 1775 (by Richard Chandler, in "Travels in Greece") was nympholepsy, on model of epilepsy, with second element from stem of Gk. lambanein "to take;" defined as "a state of rapture supposed to be inspired in men by nymphs; esp. an ecstasy or frenzy caused by desire for the unattainable." Nympho "nymphomaniac" is from 1935.