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Webster 1913 Edition


Nigh

Nigh

(nī)
,
Adj.
[
Com
par.
Nigher
(nī′ẽr)
;
sup
erl.
Nighest
, or
Next
(nĕkst)
.]
[OE.
nigh
,
neigh
,
neih
, AS.
neáh
,
nēh
; akin to D.
na
, adv., OS.
nāh
, a., OHG.
nāh
, G.
nah
, a.,
nach
to, after, Icel.
nā
(in comp.) nigh, Goth.
nēhw
,
nēhwa
, adv., nigh. Cf.
Near
,
Neighbor
,
Next
.]
1.
Not distant or remote in place or time; near.
The loud tumult shows the battle
nigh
.
Prior.
2.
Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
Nigh kinsmen.”
Knolles.
Ye . . . are made
nigh
by the blood of Christ.
Eph. ii. 13.
Syn. – Near; close; adjacent; contiguous; present; neighboring.

Nigh

,
adv.
[AS.
neáh
,
nēh
. See
Nigh
,
Adj.
]
1.
In a situation near in place or time, or in the course of events; near.
He was sick,
nigh
unto death.
Phil. ii. 27.
He drew not
nigh
unheard; the angel bright,
Ere he drew
nigh
, his radiant visage turned.
Milton.
2.
Almost; nearly;
as, he was
nigh
dead
.

Nigh

,
Verb.
T.
&
I.
To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near.
[Obs.]
Wyclif (Matt. iii. 2).

Nigh

,
p
rep.
Near to; not remote or distant from.
“was not this nigh shore?”
Shak.

Webster 1828 Edition


Nigh

NIGH

,
Adj.
[G. A preposition signifying to, on or after, that is, approaching, pressing on, making towards; strait, narrow.]
1.
Near; not distant or remote in place or time.
The loud tumult shows the battle nigh.
When the fig-tree putteth forth leaves, ye know that summer is nigh.
2.
Closely allied by blood; as a nigh kinsman.
3.
Easy to be obtained or learnt; of easy access.
The word is very nigh unto thee. Deuteronomy 30.
4.
Ready to support, to forgive, or to aid and defend.
The Lord is nigh unto them who are of a broken heart. Psalm 34.
5.
Close in fellowship; intimate in relation.
Ye are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Ephesians 2.
6.
Near in progress or condition. Hebrews 6.

NIGH

,
adv.
ni.
1.
Near; at a small distance in place or time, or in the course of events.
He was sick, nigh to death. Philippians 2.
2.
Near to a place.
He drew nigh.
3.
Almost; near. He was nigh dead.
Nigh is never a preposition. In the phrase, nigh this recess, with terror they survey, there is an ellipsis of to. They, nigh to this recess, survey, &c.

NIGH

,
Verb.
I.
ni.
To approach; to advance or draw near. [Not used.]

Definition 2024


nigh

nigh

English

Adjective

nigh (comparative nigher or more nigh, superlative nighest or most nigh)

  1. (archaic, poetic) near, close by
    The end is nigh!
  2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate.
    • Knolles
      nigh kinsmen
    • Bible, Eph. ii. 13
      Ye [] are made nigh by the blood of Christ.

Usage notes

  • Near was originally the comparative form of nigh; the superlative form was next. Nigh is used today mostly in archaic, poetic, or regional contexts.

Synonyms

Related terms

Translations

Verb

nigh (third-person singular simple present nighs, present participle nighing, simple past and past participle nighed)

  1. To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near.
    night is nighing, death is nighing
    nighing his hour
    a death-nighing moan

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:nigh.

Translations

Adverb

nigh (not comparable)

  1. Almost, nearly.
    Achieving the summit in a single day is, well, nigh impossible.
    • 1913, Joseph C. Lincoln, chapter 12, in Mr. Pratt's Patients:
      So, after a spell, he decided to make the best of it and shoved us into the front parlor. [] It looked like a tomb and smelt pretty nigh as musty and dead-and-gone.

Usage notes

  • Nigh is sometimes used as a combining form.

Quotations

  • For usage examples of this term, see Citations:nigh.

Derived terms

Translations

Preposition

nigh

  1. near; close to
    When the Moon is horned ... is it not ever nigh the Sun?

Translations


Irish

Etymology

From Middle Irish nigid (he washes), from Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (to wash).

Pronunciation

  • (Munster) /nʲɪɟ/
  • (Connacht, Ulster) IPA(key): (imperative) /n̠ʲiː/, (analytic past indicative) /nʲiː/

Verb

nigh (present analytic níonn, future analytic nífidh, verbal noun , past participle nite)

  1. (transitive, intransitive) wash

Conjugation

Related terms

  • níochán m ((act of) washing; wash, laundry; clothes washed or to be washed)

References

  • "nigh" in Foclóir Gaeilge-Béarla, An Gúm, 1977, by Niall Ó Dónaill.
  • nigid” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.

Scottish Gaelic

Pronunciation

  • IPA(key): /ɲiː/

Etymology 1

From Middle Irish nigid (he washes), from Proto-Indo-European *neygʷ- (to wash) (compare English nixie (water sprite), Ancient Greek νίζω (nízō)).

Verb

nigh (past nigh, future nighidh, verbal noun nighe, past participle nighte)

  1. wash, cleanse, purify
  2. bathe

Inflection

Tense \ Voice Active Passive
Present a' nighe --
Past nigh nigheadh
Future nighidh nighear
Conditional nigheadh nighteadh

Etymology 2

Noun

nigh f (genitive singular nighe)

  1. daughter
  2. niece

References

  • Faclair Gàidhlig Dwelly Air Loidhne, Dwelly, Edward (1911), Faclair Gàidhlig gu Beurla le Dealbhan/The Illustrated [Scottish] Gaelic-English Dictionary (10th ed.), Edinburgh: Birlinn Limited, ISBN 0 901771 92 9
  • nigid” in Dictionary of the Irish Language, Royal Irish Academy, 1913–76.