Nick Nick noun [ Akin to Nock .] 1. A notch cut into something ; as: (a) A score for keeping an account; a reckoning. [ Obsolete] (b) (Print.) A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution. W. Savage. (c) A broken or indented place in any edge or surface; nicks in china. 2. A particular point or place considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.

To cut it off in the very nick .

Howell.

This nick of time is the critical occasion for the gainger of a point.

L'Estrange.

Nick Nick transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Nicked ; present participle & verbal noun Nicking .] 1. To make a nick or nicks in; to notch; to keep count of or upon by nicks; as, to nick a stick, tally, etc. 2. To mar; to deface; to make ragged, as by cutting nicks or notches in.

And thence proceed to nicking sashes.

Prior.

The itch of his affection should not then
Have nicked his captainship.

Shak. 3. To suit or fit into, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.

Words nicking and resembling one another are applicable to different significations.

Camden. 4. To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.

The just season of doing things must be nicked , and all accidents improved.

L'Estrange. 5. To make a cross cut or cuts on the under side of (the tail of a horse, in order to make him carry it higher).

Nick Nick transitive verb To nickname; to style. [ Obsolete]

For Warbeck, as you nick him, came to me.

Ford.

Nickar nut, Nickar tree Nick"ar nut`, Nick"ar tree` (Botany) Same as Nicker nut , Nicker tree .

Nickel Nick"el noun [ G., from Swedish nickel , abbrev. from Swedish kopparnickel copper-nickel, a name given in derision, as it was thought to be a base ore of copper. The origin of the second part of the word is uncertain. Confer Kupfer-nickel , Copper-nickel .] 1. (Chemistry) A bright silver-white metallic element. It is of the iron group, and is hard, malleable, and ductile. It occurs combined with sulphur in millerite, with arsenic in the mineral niccolite, and with arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. Symbol Ni. Atomic weight 58.6. » On account of its permanence in air and inertness to oxidation, it is used in the smaller coins, for plating iron, brass, etc., for chemical apparatus, and in certain alloys, as german silver. It is magnetic, and is very frequently accompanied by cobalt, both being found in meteoric iron. 2. A small coin made of or containing nickel; esp., a five-cent piece. [ Colloq. U.S.] Nickel silver , an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc; -- usually called german silver ; called also argentan .

Nickel steel Nickel steel A kind of cast steel containing nickel, which greatly increases its strength. It is used for armor plate, bicycle tubing, propeller shafts, etc.

Nickelic Nick·el"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or containing, nickel; specifically, designating compounds in which, as contrasted with the nickelous compounds, the metal has a higher valence; as nickelic oxide.

Nickeliferous Nick`el·if"er·ous adjective [ Nickel + -ferous .] Containing nickel; as, nickelferous iron.

Nickeline Nick"el·ine noun 1. (Chemistry) An alloy of nickel, a variety of German silver. 2. (Min.) Niccolite.

Nickelodeon Nick`el·o"de·on noun [ Nickel + odeon .] A place of entertainment, as for moving picture exhibition, charging a fee or admission price of five cents. [ U. S.]

Nickelous Nick"el·ous adjective (Chemistry) Of, pertaining to, or designating, those compounds of nickel in which, as contrasted with the nickelic compounds, the metal has a lower valence; as, nickelous oxide. Frankland.

Nicker Nick"er noun [ From Nick , transitive verb ] 1. One of the night brawlers of London formerly noted for breaking windows with half- pence. [ Cant] Arbuthnot. 2. The cutting lip which projects downward at the edge of a boring bit and cuts a circular groove in the wood to limit the size of the hole that is bored.

Nicker nut Nick"er nut` A rounded seed, rather smaller than a nutmeg, having a hard smooth shell, and a yellowish or bluish color. The seeds grow in the prickly pods of tropical, woody climbers of the genus Cæsalpinia . C. Bonduc has yellowish seeds; C. Bonducella , bluish gray. [ Spelt also neckar nut , nickar nut .]

Nicker tree Nick"er tree` (Botany) The plant producing nicker nuts. [ Written also neckar tree and nickar tree .]

Nicking Nick"ing noun [ From Nick , transitive verb ] (Coal Mining) (a) The cutting made by the hewer at the side of the face. (b) plural Small coal produced in making the nicking.

Nickle Nic"kle noun (Zoology) The European woodpecker, or yaffle; -- called also nicker pecker .

Nicknack Nick"nack` noun See Knickknack .

Nicknackery Nick"nack`er·y noun See Knickknackery .

Nickname Nick"name` noun [ Middle English ekename surname, hence, a nickname, an ekename being understood as a nekename , influenced also by English nick , v. See Eke , and Name .] A name given in contempt, derision, or sportive familiarity; a familiar or an opprobrious appellation.

Nickname Nick"name` transitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Nicknamed ; present participle & verbal noun Nicknaming .] To give a nickname to; to call by a nickname.

You nickname virtue; vice you should have spoke.

Shak.

I altogether disclaim what has been nicknamed the doctrine of finality.

Macaulay.

Nicolaitan Ni`co·la"i·tan noun [ So called from Nicolas of Antioch, mentioned in Acts vi. 5.] (Eccl. Hist.) One of certain corrupt persons in the early church at Ephesus, who are censured in rev. ii. 6, 15.

Nicotian Ni·co"tian noun [ French nicotiane ; -- so called from Nicot , who introduced it into France, a.d. 1560.] Tobacco. [ R.] B. Jonson.

Nicotian Ni·co"tian adjective Pertaining to, or derived from, tobacco. [ R.] Bp. Hall.

Nicotiana Ni·co`ti·a"na noun [ New Latin See Nicotian .] (Botany) A genus of American and Asiatic solanaceous herbs, with viscid foliage and funnel-shaped blossoms. Several species yield tobacco. See Tobacco .

Nicotianine Ni·co"ti·a·nine noun [ French nicotianine . See Nicotian .] (Chemistry) A white waxy substance having a hot, bitter taste, extracted from tobacco leaves and called also tobacco camphor .

Nicotic Ni·cot"ic adjective (Chemistry) Nicotinic.

Nicotidine Ni·cot"i·dine noun [ Nicot ine + pyr idine .] (Chemistry) A complex, oily, nitrogenous base, isomeric with nicotine, and obtained by the reduction of certain derivatives of the pyridine group.

Nicotine Nic"o·tine noun [ French nicotine . See Nicotian .] (Chemistry) An alkaloid which is the active principle of tobacco. It is a colorless, transparent, oily liquid, having an acrid odor, and an acrid burning taste. It is intensely poisonous. Ure.

Nicotinic Nic`o·tin"ic adjective (Chemistry) Pertaining to, or derived from, nicotine; nicotic; -- used specifically to designate an acid related to pyridine, obtained by the oxidation of nicotine, and called nicotinic acid .

Nicotinism Nic"o·tin·ism noun [ Nicotine + -ism .] (Medicine) The morbid condition produced by the excessive use of tobacco.

Nictate Nic"tate intransitive verb [ Latin nictare , nictatum , from nicere to beckon.] To wink; to nictitate.

Nictation Nic·ta"tion noun [ Latin nictatio ... confer French nictation .] the act of winking; nictitation.

Nictitate Nic"ti·tate intransitive verb [ See Nictate .] To wink; to nictate. Nictitating membrane (Anat.) , a thin membrane, found in many animals at the inner angle, or beneath the lower lid, of the eye, and capable of being drawn across the eyeball; the third eyelid; the haw.

Nictitation Nic`ti·ta"tion noun The act of winking.

Nidamental Nid`a·men"tal adjective [ Latin nidamentum materials for a nest, from nidus nest. See Nest .] (Zoology) Of, pertaining to, or baring, eggs or egg capsules; as, the nidament capsules of certain gastropods; nidamental glands. See Illust . of Dibranchiata .

Nidary Ni"da·ry noun [ Latin nidus a nest.] A collection of nests. [ R.] velyn.

Nide Nide noun [ Latin nidus a nest: confer French nid .] A nestful; a brood; as, a nide of pheasants. [ Obsolete]

Nidering Ni"der·ing adjective [ See Niding .] Infamous; dastardly. [ Obsolete] Sir W. Scott.

Nidgery Nidg"er·y noun [ See Nidget .] A trifle; a piece of foolery. [ Obsolete] Skinner.

Nidget Nidg"et noun [ Written also nigget , nigeot .] [ Confer French nigaud a booby, fool, Old French niger to play the fool.] A fool; an idiot, a coward. [ Obsolete] Camden.

Nidificate Nid"i·fi·cate intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Nidificated ; present participle & verbal noun Nidificating .] [ Latin nidificare , nidificatum ; nidus nest + -ficare (in comp.) to make. See -fy , and confer nest .] To make a nest.

Where are the fishes which nidificated in trees?

Lowell.

Nidification Nid`i·fi·ca"tion noun [ Confer French nidification .] The act or process of building a nest.

Niding Ni"ding (nī"dĭng) noun [ Written also nithing .] [ Anglo-Saxon nīðing , from nīð wickness, malice, hatred.] A coward; a dastard; -- a term of utmost opprobrium. [ Obsolete]

He is worthy to be called a niding .

Howell.

Nidor Ni"dor noun [ Latin ] Scent or savor of meat or food, cooked or cooking. [ Obsolete] Jer. Taylor.

Nidorose Ni"dor·ose` adjective Nidorous. [ R.] Arbuthnot.

Nidorous Ni"dor·ous adjective [ Latin nidorosus steaming, reeking: confer French nidoreux . See Nidor .] Resembling the smell or taste of roast meat, or of corrupt animal matter. [ R.]

Nidulant Nid"u·lant adjective [ Latin nidulans , present participle: confer French Nidulant .] 1. Nestling, as a bird in its nest. 2. (Botany) Lying loose in pulp or cotton within a berry or pericarp, as in a nest.

Nidulate Nid"u·late intransitive verb [ imperfect & past participle Nidulated ; present participle & verbal noun Nidulating .] [ Latin nidulari , from nidulus , dim. of nidus a nest.] To make a nest, as a bird. [ R.] Cockeram.

Nidulation Nid`u·la"tion noun The time of remaining in the nest. [ R.] Sir T. Browne.

Nidulite Nid"u·lite noun [ Latin nidulus a little nest.] (Paleon.) A Silurian fossil, formerly supposed to consist of eggs.