English

Noun

nief ‎(plural niefs)

1. A serf or bondsman born into servitude.
   • 1886, "The Fight at the Pass of Coleshill", The Red Dragon "Notes and Queries", page 471

     That is, because the girl was his nief, or bondwoman, the daughter of one of his villains

Alternative forms

• neif

Translations

Etymology 2

From Old Norse hnefi, nefi, of unknown origin.

Noun

nief ‎(plural niefs or nieves)

1. (chiefly Scotland, Ireland, Northern England) A fist. [from 14th c.]
   • 1934, Lewis Grassic Gibbon, Grey Granite, Polygon 2006 (A Scots Quair), p. 597:

     Ake thought if ever he was walking alone on a dark-like night and Jimmy came on him, he with his bare nieves and Jimmy with a knife, he'd stand as much chance of getting home safe as a celluloid cat that had strayed into ****….

   • 1989, Anthony Burgess, The Devil's Mode:

     Nestorius exploded at that and hit out. He roared and dismissed the class, hitting out with his old mottled gnarled niefs.

   • 2004, Jeff Silverman, The Greatest Boxing Stories Ever Told, p. 160:

     "But t' Maister can stop and hit rarely. Happen he'll mak' him joomp when he gets his nief upon him."

Alternative forms

• neif
• nieve

Translations

Anagrams

• Enif
• fine
• ifen

Old Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈnjeɸ]

Noun

nief f (plural nieues)

1. apocopic form of nieue ‎(“snow”)
   • c. 1250: Alfonso X, Lapidario, f. 5v.

     Et los egiptianos llaman le la nief de acin ¬ eſto es por que a color blanca.

     And the Egyptians called it the snow of Acin, because of its white color.