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

neutral --- c.1449 as a noun, "one who remains neutral," from M.Fr. neutral, from L. neutralis "of neuter gender," from neuter (see neuter). The adj. sense of "not taking sides in a fight" is 1549, probably from a similar meaning in M.L. Meaning "disengaged position in gear mechanisms" is from 1912. Neutral corner (1952) is from boxing.

neutrality --- 1480, "the neutral party in any dispute," from M.Fr. neutralite, from M.L. neutralitatem (nom. neutralitas), from L. neutralis (see neutral). Introduced in Fr. 14c. by Jean Froissart. Meaning "a neutral attitude" is from 1494.

neutralize --- 1759, "to render neutral" (in a chemical sense), from Fr. neutraliser, from neutral (see neutral). Meaning "to counterbalance, to kill by opposing" is from 1795.

neutrino --- 1934, from It. neutrino, coined 1933 by It. physicist Enrico Fermi (1901-54) from neutro "neuter" + -ino, dim. suffix.

neutron --- 1921, coined by W.D. Harkins of Chicago from neutr(al) + -on, as in electron. First record of neutron bomb is from 1960.

Nevada --- U.S. state, named for Sierra Nevada mountain range, lit. "snowy mountains," from alt. form of Sp. nevado "snowy" (see neve).

neve --- field of granular snow, firn, 1843, from Fr. névé (19c.), probably from Savoyard névi "mass of snow," from L. nivem (nom. nix) "snow" (cf. Fr. niege).

never --- O.E. næfre, compound of ne "not, no" (from PIE base *ne- "no, not;" see un-) + æfre "ever." Early used as an emphatic form of not (as still in never mind); nevermore is first attested c.1205; nevertheless is from c.1300. O.E., unlike its modern descendant, had the useful custom of attaching ne to words to create their negatives, as in nabban for na habban "not to have." It. giammai, Fr. jamais, Sp. jamas are from L. iam "already" + magis "more;" thus lit. "at any time, ever," originally with a negative, but this has been so thoroughly absorbed in sense as to be formally omitted. Phrase never say die "don't despair" is from 1865, originally among sailors. Never mind "pay it no attention" is from 1795. Never Never Land is first attested in Australia as a name for the uninhabited northern part of Queensland, perhaps so called because anyone who had gone there once never wished to return. Meaning "imaginary, illusory or utopian place" first attested 1900 in Amer.Eng.

Nevin --- surname and masc. proper name, from Ir./Gael. Naomhin "little saint."

new --- O.E. neowe, niowe, earlier niwe, from P.Gmc. *newjaz (cf. O.Fris. nie, Du. nieuw, Ger. neu, Dan., Swed. ny, Goth. niujis "new"), from PIE *newos (cf. Skt. navah, Pers. nau, Hittite newash, Gk. neos, Lith. naujas, O.C.S. novu, Rus. novyi, L. novus, O.Ir. nue, Welsh newydd "new"). Newly-wed (n.) first recorded 1918. Newborn is c.1300 as an adj., 1879 as a noun. New math in ref. to a system of teaching mathematics based on investigation and discovery is from 1958. New England was named 1616 by Capt. John Smith; Newfoundland is from 1585. New World to designate phenomena of the Western Hemisphere first attested 1823, in Lord Byron.

New Age --- 1971, in ref. to a modern spiritual movement, from new + age. It had been used at various times since at least the 1840s.

New Wave --- 1960, of cinema (from Fr. Nouvelle Vague, late 1950s); 1976 as a name for the more restrained and melodic alternative to punk rock.

New Year's Eve --- c.1300; "þer þay dronken & dalten ... on nwe gerez euen." The Julian calendar began on January 1, but the Christian Church frowned on pagan celebrations of this and chose the Feast of the Annunciation (March 25) as its New Year's Day. The civic year in England continued to begin January 1 until late 12c., and even though legal documents then shifted to March 25, popular calendars and almanacs continued to begin on January 1. The calendar reform of 1751 restored the Julian New Year. New Year's was the main midwinter festival in Scotland from 17c., when Protestant authorities banned Christmas, and continued so after England reverted to Christmas, hence the Scottish flavor ("Auld Lang Syne," etc.). New Year's gathering in public places began 1878 in London, after new bells were installed in St. Paul's.

newel --- 1362, "pillar from which steps of a winding staircase radiate," from O.Fr. noel, novel "knob, newel, kernel, stone," from V.L. *nodellus "little knot," dim. of L. nodulus, dim. of nodus "knot." Or the O.Fr. word may be from Gallo-Romance *nucale, from L. nux "nut." The meaning "post at the top or bottom of a staircase" is from 1833.

newfangled --- c.1470, "addicted to novelty," lit. "ready to grasp at all new things," from adj. newefangel "inclined to take" (c.1386), from new + -fangel, from root of O.E. fon "to capture" (see fang). Sense of "lately come into fashion" first recorded 1533.

Newgate --- 1596, in ref. to the famous London prison, which was torn down 1902-3.

news --- 1382, plural of new (n.) "new thing," from new (adj.), q.v.; after Fr. nouvelles, used in Bible translations to render M.L. nova (neut. pl.) "news," lit. "new things." Sometimes still regarded as plural, 17c.-19c. Meaning "tidings" is 1423; newspaper is first attested 1670, though the thing itself is much older. Newsreel was first recorded 1916; newscast is from 1930. Newsletter is attested from 1674, but fell from use until it was revived 20c. Newsworthy first attested 1932. The News in the Virginia city Newport News is said to derive from the name of one of its founders, William Newce.

Newspeak --- artificial language of official communication in George Orwell's novel 'Nineteen Eighty-Four,' 1949, from new + speak. Frequently applied to propagandistic warped English.

newt --- c.1420, misdivision of an ewte, from M.E. evete (see eft).

next --- O.E. niehsta, nyhsta (W.Saxon), nesta (Anglian) "nearest, closest," superl. of neah (W.Saxon), neh (Anglian) "nigh;" from P.Gmc. *nekh- "near" + superlative suffix *-istaz. Cognate with O.N. næstr, Du. naast "next," O.H.G. nahisto "neighbor," Ger. nächst "next." Nextdoor is attested from 1485. Phrase the next person "a typical person" is from 1857.

nexus --- 1663, "bond, link, means of communication," from L. nexus, pp. of nectere "to bind," from PIE base *ned- "to bind, tie" (see net (n.)).

Nez Perce --- native people of Idaho and vicinity, and their language, from Fr. Nez Percé, lit. "pierced nose." In ref. to an early custom of the people of wearing shell ornaments in pierced septums.

niacin --- pellagra-preventing vitamin in enriched bread, 1942, coined from ni(cotinic) ac(id) + -in, chemical suffix; suggested by the merican Medical Association as a more commercially viable name than nicotinic acid.

Niagara --- waterfall from Lake Erie to Lake Ontario, from a town name, perhaps from an Iroquoian language and meaning "a neck" (between two bodies of water); general sense of "a cataract, torrent" is attested from 1841; meaning " 'shower' of ringlets (true or false) in women's hair" is from 1864, also known as cataract curls.

nib --- 1585, "beak or bill of a bird," Scot. variant of O.E. neb, from P.Gmc. *nabjan (see neb). Meaning "point" (of a pen or quill) first recorded 1611.

nibble (v.) --- to bite gently, c.1500, perhaps from Low Ger. nibbeln "to nibble, gnaw," related to M.L.G. nibbelen, M.Du. knibbelen "to gnaw," source of Du. knibbelen "to cavail, squabble." The noun is first attested 1658.

Nibelungenlied --- Ger. epic poem of 13c., lit. "song of the Nibelungs," a race of dwarves who lived in Norway and owned a hoard of gold and a magic ring, lit. "children of the mist," related to O.H.G. nebul "mist, darkness," O.E. nifol (see nebula).

nibs --- esp. in His Nibs "boss, employer, self-important person," 1821, of unknown origin.

nice --- c.1290, "foolish, stupid, senseless," from O.Fr. nice "silly, foolish," from L. nescius "ignorant," lit. "not-knowing," from ne- "not" (see un-) + stem of scire "to know." "The sense development has been extraordinary, even for an adj." [Weekley] -- from "timid" (pre-1300); to "fussy, fastidious" (c.1380); to "dainty, delicate" (c.1405); to "precise, careful" (1500s, preserved in such terms as a nice distinction and nice and early); to "agreeable, delightful" (1769); to "kind, thoughtful" (1830). In 16c.-17c. it is often difficult to determine exactly what is meant when a writer uses this word. By 1926, it was pronounced "too great a favorite with the ladies, who have charmed out of it all its individuality and converted it into a mere diffuser of vague and mild agreeableness." [Fowler]

Nicene --- 1432, in ref. to Nicaea (Gk. Nikaia, modern Turk. Isnik), city in Bithynia where ecclesiastical council of 325 C.E. dealt with the Arian schism and produced the Nicene Creed. A second council held there (787) considered the question of images.

nicety --- 1366, "folly, stupidity," from O.Fr. niceté "foolishness," from nice "silly" (see nice). Underwent sense evolution parallel to nice, arriving at "minute, subtle point" 1589 and "exactitude" in 1660. Phrase to a nicety "exactly" is attested from 1795.

niche --- 1611, "shallow recess in a wall," from Fr. niche "recess (for a dog), kennel," 14c., perhaps from It. nicchia "niche, nook," from nicchio "seashell," probably from L. mitulus "mussel," but the change of -m- to -n- is not explained. Another suggestion is that the word is from an O.Fr. noun derived from nichier "to nestle, nest, build a nest," via Gallo-Romance *nidicare from L. nidus "nest;" but that has difficulties, too. Figurative sense is first recorded 1725. Biological use dates from 1927.

Nicholas --- masc. proper name, from Gk. Nikholaos, lit. "victory-people," from nike "victory" + laos "people." The saint (obit. 326 C.E.) was a bishop of Myra in Lycia, patron of scholars, especially schoolboys. A popular given name in England in Middle Ages, as was the fem. form Nicolaa, corresponding to Fr. Nicole. Colloquial Old Nick "the devil" is attested from 1643, evidently from the proper name, but for no certain reason.

nick (n.) --- notch, groove, slit, 1483, nyke, of unknown origin, possibly infl. by M.Fr. niche "niche." The verb is first attested 1530. Sense of "to steal" is from 1869, probably from earlier slang sense of "to catch, take unawares, arrest" (1622). Nick of time is first attested 1643, possibly from an old custom of recording time as it passed by making notches on a tally stick, though the general sense of "critical moment" is older (1577) than the phrase.

nickel --- 1755, coined in 1754 by Swed. mineralogist Axel von Cronstedt (1722-65) from shortening of Swed. kopparnickel "copper-colored ore" (from which it was first obtained), a half-translation of Ger. Kupfernickel, lit. "copper demon," from Kupfer (see copper) + Nickel "demon, goblin, rascal" (a pet form of masc. proper name Nikolaus, cf. Eng. Old Nick "the devil;" see Nicholas); the ore so called by miners because it looked like copper but yielded none. Meaning "coin made partly of nickel" is from 1857, when the U.S. introduced one-cent coins made of nickel to replace the old bulky copper pennies. Application to five-cent piece (originally one part nickel, three parts copper) is from 1883, Amer.Eng.; in earlier use were silver half-dimes. To nickel-and-dime (someone) is from 1970 (nickels and dimes "very small amounts of money" is attested from 1893).

nickelodeon --- 1888, "motion picture theater," from nickel "five-cent coin" (the cost to view one) + -odeon, as in Melodeon (1840) "music hall," ult. from Gk. oideion "building for musical performances." Meaning "nickel jukebox" is first attested 1938.

nicker (v.) --- to neigh, 1774, of imitative origin (see neigh).

nickname --- 1440, misdivision of ekename (1303), an eke name, lit. "an additional name," from O.E. eaca "an increase," related to eacian "to increase" (see eke).

nickytam --- garter worn over trousers, 1911, from Scot., from shortened form of knickers + Scot. & northern Eng. dial taum, from O.N. taumr "cord, rein, line," cognate with O.E. team (see team). Originally a string tied by Scot. farmers around rolled-up trousers to keep the legs of them out of the dirt.

nicotine --- poisonous alkaloid found in tobacco leaves, 1819, from Fr. nicotine, from Mod.L. Nicotiana, formal botanical name for the tobacco plant, named for Jean Nicot (c.1530-1600), Fr. ambassador to Portugal, who sent tobacco seeds and powdered leaves back to France 1561. His name is a dim. of Nicolas.

nictitate --- to wink, 1822, from M.L. nictitatus, pp. of nictitare, freq. of L. nictare "wink, blink," related to second element in connive (q.v.).

niece --- 1297, from O.Fr. nièce (12c.), earlier niepce, from L. neptia, from neptis "granddaughter," in L.L. "niece," fem. of nepos "grandson, nephew" (see nephew). Replaced O.E. nift, from P.Gmc. *neftiz, from the same PIE root. Until c.1600, it also could mean "a granddaughter" or any remote female descendant. Cf. cognate Sp. nieta, O.Lith. nepte, Skt. naptih "granddaughter;" Czech net, O.Ir. necht, Welsh nith, Ger. Nichte "niece."

Nielsen --- in ref. to popularity ratings of TV and radio programs, 1951, from Arthur Clarke Nielsen, founder of A.C. Nielsen Co., which evaluates viewership based on samplings of receiving sets.

nieve --- clenched fist (northern and Scot. dialect), c.1300, from O.N. hnefi (cf. Norw. dial. neve, Swed. näfve, Dan. næve), not found in any other Gmc. language.

nifty --- 1868, perhaps theatrical slang, first attested in a poem by Bret Harte, who said it was a shortened, altered form of magnificat (q.v.).

niggard --- 1366, nygart, of uncertain origin. The suffix suggests Fr. origin (cf. dastard), but the root word is probably related to O.N. hnøggr "stingy," from P.Gmc. *khnauwjaz (cf. Swed. njugg "close, careful," Ger. genau "precise, exact"), and to O.E. hneaw "stingy, niggardly," which did not survive in M.E.

nigger --- 1786, earlier neger (1568, Scot. and northern England dialect), from Fr. nègre, from Sp. negro (see Negro). From the earliest usage it was "the term that carries with it all the obloquy and contempt and rejection which whites have inflicted on blacks" [cited in Gowers, 1965]. But as black inferiority was at one time a near universal assumption in Eng.-speaking lands, the word in some cases could be used without deliberate insult. More sympathetic writers late 18c. and early 19c. seem to have used black (n.) and, after the American Civil War, colored person. Also applied by Eng. settlers to dark-skinned native peoples in India, Australia, Polynesia. The reclamation of the word as a neutral or positive term in black culture, often with a suggestion of "soul" or "style," is attested first in the Amer. South, later (1968) in the Northern, urban-based Black Power movement. Variant niggah, attested from 1925 (without the -h, from 1969), is found usually in situations where blacks use the word. Nigra (1944), on the other hand, reflects a pronunciation in certain circles of Negro, but meant to suggest nigger, and is thus deemed (according to a 1960 slang dictionary) "even more derog. than 'nigger.' " Slang phrase nigger in the woodpile attested by 1800; "A mode of accounting for the disappearance of fuel; an unsolved mystery" [R.H. Thornton, "American Glossary," 1912]. Nigger heaven, "the top gallery in a (segregated) theater" first attested 1878 in ref. to Troy, N.Y.

niggle --- 1599 (implied in niggling), possibly from a Scand. source (cf. Norw. dial. nigla "be busy with trifles"), perhaps related to source of niggard.

nigh --- near, O.E. neah (W.Saxon), neh (Anglian), common Gmc. (cf. O.Fris. nei, M.Du. na, O.H.G. nah, Ger. nah, Goth. nehwa), with no cognates outside Gmc. The O.E. progression was neah - near - niehsta, for "nigh - near - next." But the comp. near and the superl. nehst gradually evolved into separate words not felt as related to nigh. New comp. and superl. forms, nigher, nighest, developed 1300s as phonetic changes obscured the original relationships.

night --- O.E. niht (W.Saxon neaht, Anglian næht, neht), the vowel indicating that the modern word derives from oblique cases (gen. nihte, dat. niht), from P.Gmc. *nakht- (cf. O.H.G. naht, O.Fris., Du., Ger. nacht, O.N. natt, Goth. nahts), from PIE *nok(w)t- (cf. Gk. nuks "a night," L. nox, O.Ir. nochd, Skt. naktam "at night," Lith. naktis "night," O.C.S. nosti, Rus. noch', Welsh henoid "tonight"). For spelling with -gh- see fight.

night owl --- owl which flies at night, 1593; applied since 1846 (Amer.Eng.) to persons who are up or out late at night. Similarly, night-hawk, used since 1611 of various birds; fig. sense of "one who seeks prey at night, one who stays up late" is from 1818. Cf. Fr. hirondelle de nuit "prostitute," lit. "night-swallow."

nightcap --- c.1386, "covering for the head, worn in bed," from night + cap. In the alcoholic sense, it is attested from 1818. Amer.Eng. sense of "final event in a sporting contest" (especially the second game of a baseball double-header) is from 1939.

nightie --- 1871, short for nightgown (c.1400); originally a children's word.

nightingale --- O.E. næctigalæ, compound formed in P.Gmc. (cf. Du. nachtegaal, Ger. Nachtigall) from *nakht- "night" (see night) + *galon "to sing," related to O.E. giellan "yell" (see yell). With parasitic -n- that appeared c.1250. Dutch nightingale "frog" is attested from 1769. In Japanese, "nightingale floor" is said to be the term for boards that creak when you walk on them.

nightjar --- nocturnal bird, goatsucker, 1630, from night + jar (v.). So called for the "jarring" sounds made by the male when the female is brooding, which have been described as a "churring trill that seems to change direction as it rises and falls."

nightmare --- c.1290, "an evil female spirit afflicting sleepers with a feeling of suffocation," compounded from night + mare "goblin that causes nightmares, incubus," from O.E. mare "incubus," from mera, mære, from P.Gmc. *maron "goblin," from PIE *mora- "incubus," from base *mer- "to rub away, harm, seize" (cf. first element in O.Ir. Morrigain "demoness of the corpses," lit. "queen of the nightmare," also Bulg., Serb., Pol. mora "incubus;" Fr. cauchemar, with first element is from O.Fr. caucher "to trample"). Meaning shifted mid-16c. from the incubus to the suffocating sensation it causes. Sense of "any bad dream" first recorded 1829; that of "very distressing experience" is from 1831.

nightshade --- O.E. nihtscada, lit. "shade of night," perhaps in allusion to the poisonous berries. A common Gmc. compound, cf. Du. nachtschade, Ger. Nachtschatten.

nihilism --- 1817, "the doctrine of negation" (in ref. to religion or morals), from Ger. Nihilismus, from L. nihil "nothing at all" (see nil), coined by Ger. philosopher Friedrich Heinrich Jacobi (1743-1819). In philosophy, an extreme form of skepticism (1836). The political sense was first used by Ger. journalist Joseph von Görres (1776-1848). Turgenev used the Rus. form of the word (nigilizm) in "Fathers and Children" (1862) and claimed to have invented it. With a capital N-, it refers to the Rus. revolutionary anarchism of the period 1860-1917, supposedly so called because "nothing" that then existed found favor in their eyes. Nihilist first attested 1836, in the religious or philosophical sense; in the Rus. political sense, it is recorded from 1871.

-nik --- as in beatnik, etc., suffix used in word formation from c.1945, from Yiddish -nik (cf. nudnik "a bore"), from Rus. -nik, common personal suffix meaning "person or thing associated with or involved in" (cf. kolkhoznik "member of a kolkhoz"). Rocketed to popularity with sputnik (q.v.).

Nike --- 1867, statue of the Gk. goddess of victory (identified by the Romans with their Victoria), lit. "victory," probably connected with neikos "quarrel, strife," neikein "to quarrel with." As a type of U.S. defensive surface-to-air missiles, attested from 1952.

nil --- nothing, 1833, from L. nil, contraction of nihil, nihilum "nothing," from ne- "not" (see un-) + hilum "small thing, trifle," of unknown origin.

nimble --- agile, light-footed, c.1300, nemel, from O.E. næmel "quick to grasp" (attested only once), related to niman "to take," from P.Gmc. *nemanan (cf. O.Du., Goth. niman, O.N. nema, O.Fris. nima, Ger. nehmen "to take"), from PIE base *nem- "to divide, distribute, allot" (cf. Gk. nemein "to deal out," nemesis "just indignation," L. numerus "number," Lith. nuoma "rent, interest," M.Ir. nos "custom, usage"). With excrescent -b- from c.1500 (cf. limb).

nimbus --- 1616, "bright cloud surrounding a god," from L. nimbus "cloud," perhaps related to nebula "cloud, mist" (see nebula). Meaning "halo" is first recorded c.1730. Meteorological sense of "a rain cloud" is from 1803. Nimbostratus in the modern sense first attested 1932.

nimby --- acronym for not in my back yard, 1980, Amer.Eng., supposedly coined by Walter Rodgers of the American Nuclear Society.

Nimrod --- great hunter, 1712, in ref. to the biblical son of Cush, referred to (Gen. x.8-9) as "a mighty hunter before the Lord." It came to mean "geek, klutz" by 1983 in teenager slang, for unknown reasons. (Amateur theories include its occasional use in "Bugs Bunny" cartoon episodes featuring rabbit-hunting Elmer Fudd as a foil; its possible ironic use, among hunters, for a clumsy member of their fraternity; or a stereotype of deer hunters by the non-hunting population in the U.S.)

Nimzo-Indian --- type of defensive opening in chess, 1935, in ref. to Aron Nimzowitsch (1886-1935), Latvian-born Jewish chess genius who popularized it.

Nina --- fem. proper name, in a Rus. context is aphetic of Annina, dim. of Gk. Anna, from Heb. Hannah, lit. "grace."

nincompoop --- 1676, nicompoop. Despite similarity [noted by Johnson] to L. legal phrase non compos mentis "insane, mentally incompetent" (1607), the connection is denied by etymologists because the earliest forms lack the second -n-. Weekley thinks first element may be a proper name, and cites Nicodemus, which he says was used in Fr. for "a fool," or Nicholas.

nine --- O.E. nigen, from P.Gmc. *niwun (cf. O.Fris. niugun, O.N. niu, Du. negen, Ger. neun, Goth. niun "nine"), from PIE (e)newn (cf. Skt. nava, Avestan nava, Gk. ennea, Alb. nende, L. novem, Lith. devnyi, O.C.S. deveti (the Balto-Slavic forms by dissimilation of -n- to -d-), O.Ir. noin, Welsh naw). Ninth is O.E. nigonðe. Sense in cloud nine, etc., possibly because, "As the largest one-figure integer, nine is sometimes used for emphasis" [Shipley]. Nine to five "the average workday" is attested from 1959. Nine days has been proverbial since 14c. for the time which a wonder or novelty holds attention. The game of ninepins is attested from 1580.

nines --- in phrase to the nines "to perfection" (1787) first attested in Burns, apparently preserves the ancient notion of the perfection of the number as three times three (e.g. the nine Muses, etc.

nineteen --- O.E. nigontene, from nine (q.v.) + -tene "teen," from ten "ten" (see ten). Nineteenth hole "bar-room in a golf clubhouse" is attested from 1901.

ninety --- O.E. nigontig, from nine (q.v.) + -tig "group of ten" (see -ty (1)).

ninny --- simpleton, fool, 1593, perhaps a misdivision of an innocent, or from the pet form of the proper name Innocent, with sense influenced by the name's literal meaning. There may be some influence in the word of It. ninno "baby, child."

Niobe --- 1589, from Gk. Niobe, daughter of Tantalus, who was changed into stone while weeping for her children (slain, after she boasted of them too much, by Artemis and Apollo); hence the name is used figuratively for bereavement and woe.

nip (n.) --- small measure of spirits, 1796, shortening of nipperkin (1671) "quantity of liquor of a half pint or less," possibly of Du. or Low Ger. origin and related to nip (v.).

nip (v.) --- to pinch sharply, to bite, 1393, related to M.L.G. nipen "to nip," Du. nijpen, but the exact evolution of the stem is obscure. The noun is attested from 1551. Nipper "small boy" (1859) was originally (1535) a pickpocket who "pinched" other people's property. To nip (something) in the bud in the fig. sense is first recorded 1606. Nip and tuck "a close thing" is recorded from 1832, perhaps from sailing or tailoring. Nippy in ref. to a "biting" chill in the air is first recorded 1898.