Definify.com
Webster 1913 Edition
Now
Now
(nou)
, adv.
[OE.
nou
, nu
, AS. nū
, nu
; akin to D., OS., & OHG. nu
, G. nu
, nun
, Icel., nū
, Dan., Sw., & Goth. nu
, L. nunc
, Gr. νύ
, νῦν
, Skr. nu
, nū
. √193. Cf. New
.] 1.
At the present time; at this moment; at the time of speaking; instantly;
as, I will write
. now
I have a patient
now
living, at an advanced age, who discharged blood from his lungs thirty years ago. Arbuthnot.
2.
Very lately; not long ago.
They that but
Made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate.
now
, for honor and for plate,Made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate.
Waller.
3.
At a time contemporaneous with something spoken of or contemplated; at a particular time referred to.
The ship was
now
in the midst of the sea. Matt. xiv. 24.
4.
In present circumstances; things being as they are; – hence, used as a connective particle, to introduce an inference or an explanation.
How shall any man distinguish
now
betwixt a parasite and a man of honor? L’Estrange.
Why should he live,
now
nature bankrupt is? Shakespeare
Then cried they all again, saying, Not this man, but Barabbas.
Now
, Barabbas was a robber. John xviii. 40.
The other great and undoing mischief which befalls men is, by their being misrepresented.
Now
, by calling evil good, a man is misrepresented to others in the way of slander. South.
Now and again
, now and then; occasionally.
– Now and now
, again and again; repeatedly.
[Obs.]
Chaucer.
– Now and then
, at one time and another; indefinitely; occasionally; not often; at intervals.
“A mead here, there a heath, and now and then a wood.” Drayton.
– Now now
, at this very instant; precisely now.
[Obs.]
“Why, even now now, at holding up of this finger, and before the turning down of this.” J. Webster (1607).
– Now . . . now
, alternately; at one time . . . at another time.
“Now high, now low, now master up, now miss.” Pope.
Now
,Adj.
Existing at the present time; present.
[R.]
“Our now happiness.” Glanvill.
Now
,Noun.
The present time or moment; the present.
Nothing is there to come, and nothing past;
But an eternal
But an eternal
now
does ever last. Cowley.
Webster 1828 Edition
Now
NOW
,adv.
1.
At the present time.I have a patient now living at an advanced age, who discharged blood from his lungs thirty years ago.
2.
A little while ago; very lately.They that but now for honor and for plate, made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate.
3.
At one time; at another time.Now high, now low, now master up, now miss.
4.
Now sometimes expresses or implies a connection between the subsequent and preceding proposition; often it introduces an inference or an explanation of what precedes.Not this man, but barabbas; now Barabbas was a robber. John 18.
Then said Mich, now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest. Judges 17.
The other great mischief which befalls men, is by their being misrepresented. Now by calling evil good, a man is misrepresented to others in the way of slander--
5.
After this; things being so. How shall any man distinguish now betwixt a parasite and a man of honor?
6.
In supplication, it appears to be somewhat emphatical.I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart. 2 Kings 20.
7.
Now sometimes refers to a particular time past specified or understood, and may be defined, at that time. He was now sensible of his mistake.Now and then, at one time and another, indefinitely; occasionally; not often; at intervals.
They now and then appear in offices of religion.
If there were any such thing as spontaneous generation, a new species would now and then appear.
2.
Applied to places which appear at intervals or in succession.A mead here, ther a heath, and now and then a wood.
Now, now, repeated, is used to excite attention to something immediately to happen.
NOW
,Noun.
Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, but an eternal now does ever last.
Now a days, adv. In this age.
What men of spirit now a days, come to give sober judgment a new plays?
[This is a common colloquial phrase, but not elegant in writing, unless of the more familiar kinds.]