📖 N — The English dictionary · page 3

nasty — Everyday, meaning 1: Very unpleasant to see, smell, taste or feel: «a nasty smell».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Unkind and mean: «a nasty comment».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Bad, serious or dangerous: «a nasty cut», «a nasty fall».↗ Example: The milk had gone off and smelled nasty.↗ · It was nasty of him to laugh at her.↗ · She had a nasty fall off her bike.↗ · Clean that nasty cut and put a plaster on it.↗ · The weather turned nasty.↗ · Don't be nasty to your little brother.↗ · I've got a nasty cold.↗

natal — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal, science) To do with being born or with the time of birth: «natal day», «natal home».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Natal: the old name of a province of South Africa (now KwaZulu-Natal), and a city in Brazil (a name).↗ Example: Salmon swim back to their natal river to lay their eggs.↗ · Turtles return to their natal beach years later.↗ · A neonatal unit looks after newborn babies in hospital.↗ · Mum went to prenatal classes before my sister was born.↗ · Natal Day is a holiday in some places, celebrating the founding of the town.↗ · Durban is a city in KwaZulu-Natal.↗

natation — Everyday, meaning 1: (formal, rare) Natation is the act or art of swimming.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (French) «La natation» is the ordinary French word for swimming as a sport or school subject; said «nah-tah-SYON» to an English ear.↗ Example: In French, «la natation» means swimming.↗ · My cousin in Quebec has «cours de natation» every Saturday.↗ · Natation is a fancy old English word for swimming.↗ · The sign at the French campsite said «Natation interdite» — no swimming.↗ · Our French teacher asked, «Tu aimes la natation?».↗ · The old book described natation as a healthy exercise.↗

nation — Everyday, meaning 1: A country, with its people, land and government.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A large group of people who share a history, language and culture, even if they do not have their own country (for example, First Nations in Canada).↗ Example: France is a nation in Europe.↗ · The whole nation watched the final on TV.↗ · The United Nations works for peace between countries.↗ · Each nation has its own flag.↗ · People from many nations came to the Olympics.↗ · First Nations people lived in Canada long before settlers arrived.↗ · The president spoke to the nation.↗ · A stir ran through the whole youth of the nation.↗ · Let peoples serve thee, and nations bow down to thee.↗ (Torah GEN.27.29, JPS 1917)↗ · and ye shall be unto Me a kingdom of priests, and a holy nation.↗ (Torah EXO.19.6, JPS 1917)↗ · For they are a nation void of counsel, and there is no understanding in them.↗ (Torah DEU.32.28, JPS 1917)↗ · Why are the nations in an uproar?↗ (Writings PSA.2.1, JPS 1917)↗ · Is a nation brought forth at once?↗ (Prophets ISA.66.8, JPS 1917)↗ · Who smote many nations, and slew mighty kings: (Writings PSA.135.10, JPS 1917)↗

national — Everyday, meaning 1: Belonging to, about, or shared by a whole nation or country, not just one part of it: a national holiday, the national anthem, a national park.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Owned or run by the government of a country: a national museum.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: As a noun, a national is a citizen of a particular country: a British national.↗ Example: We sang the national anthem at the start of the match.↗ · Yellowstone was the first national park.↗ · Independence Day is a national holiday in the USA.↗ · She plays for the national hockey team.↗ · The kiwi is New Zealand's national bird.↗ · The national news showed the floods.↗ · Ireland's national day is St Patrick's Day.↗ · Canada's national flag has a red maple leaf.↗ · And wise people shook their heads and foretold a decline in the National Love of Sport.↗ · Interested readers can check the 1562 Mantua edition for themselves through the digital archives of the National Library of Israel: nli.org.il/he/books/NNLALEPH990012793690205171/NLI.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Sefaria community translation)↗

nationalist — Everyday, meaning 1: noun.↗ e.g. A person who strongly believes their nation should rule itself, or who thinks their own country is more important than others.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: adjective: To do with such beliefs or groups: a nationalist party.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: (Ireland, Northern Ireland) A person who wants Northern Ireland to join the rest of Ireland.↗ Example: The nationalists wanted their country to be free from the empire.↗ · The Scottish National Party is a nationalist party.↗ · In Northern Ireland, nationalists hope for a united Ireland.↗ · Some nationalist leaders started wars against their neighbours.↗ · The history book explained how nationalist feelings grew in Europe.↗ · Loving your country is patriotism; thinking other countries are worse can be extreme nationalism.↗ · For the more romantic tales I have depended on the Gaelic, and, as I know about as much of Gaelic as an Irish Nationalist M.↗

nationality — Everyday, meaning 1: The legal right of belonging to a particular country; being a citizen: her nationality is Irish.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A group of people who share the same culture, language or history: many nationalities live in the city.↗ Example: What nationality are you?↗ · My nationality is Canadian.↗ · There are children of twelve nationalities in our school.↗ · She has dual nationality: Irish and Australian.↗ · Write your nationality on the form.↗ · People of many nationalities came to watch the games.↗ · His passport shows his nationality.↗ · Nationality may assert itself until it becomes affectation, and the developments of a century may run wild, as youth often does.↗

nationwide — Everyday, meaning 1: Nationwide means happening or existing in every part of a country.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: As an adverb, nationwide means across the whole country.↗ Example: The school took part in a nationwide reading challenge.↗ · There was a nationwide celebration after the team won.↗ · The new toy is sold in shops nationwide.↗ · Police began a nationwide search for the missing painting.↗ · A nationwide survey asked children about their screen time.↗ · The storm caused power cuts nationwide.↗

native — Everyday, meaning 1: Belonging to a place since long ago, naturally — not brought in from somewhere else (native plants, native animals).↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Connected with where you were born (your native country).↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Native language / native speaker: the first language you learned as a baby.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A native of a place: a person born there.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Native Americans / Native peoples: the first peoples of the Americas (used with care; many prefer «Indigenous» or their own nation's name).↗ Example: Kangaroos are native to Australia.↗ · The kiwi is a bird native to New Zealand.↗ · We planted native flowers to help the bees.↗ · My native language is Spanish, and I'm learning English.↗ · She's a native of Dublin.↗ · Rabbits are not native to Australia, and they harm the land.↗ · We learned about the Native American nations of the Great Plains.↗ · And after a time they reached their native country.↗ · I have seen the wicked in great power, and spreading himself like a leafy tree in its native soil.↗ (Writings PSA.37.35, JPS 1917)↗ · Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep sore for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.↗ (Prophets JER.22.10, JPS 1917)↗

nativity — Everyday, meaning 1: (church, Bible) The Nativity is the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, as told in the Gospels; Christians celebrate it at Christmas.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A nativity play is a play, often done by children at school or church, that tells the Christmas story.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: A nativity scene is a model or picture of the stable with Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, shepherds, wise men and animals.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: (formal) Nativity can mean anyone's birth.↗ Example: I was a shepherd in our school nativity play.↗ · The nativity scene showed baby Jesus lying in a manger.↗ · The Nativity is told in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke.↗ · My little brother was a sheep in the nativity and forgot to say «baa».↗ · Families came to watch the children's nativity.↗ · The painting shows the Nativity with angels above the stable.↗ · Now arise, get thee out from this land, and return unto the land of thy nativity.'↗ (Torah GEN.31.13, JPS 1917)↗ · And Haran died in the presence of his father Terah in the land of his nativity, in Ur of the Chaldees.↗ (Torah GEN.11.28, JPS 1917)↗ · and say: Thus saith the Lord GOD unto Jerusalem: Thine origin and thy nativity is of the land of the Canaanite; the Amorite was thy father, and thy mother was a Hittite.↗ (Prophets EZK.16.3, JPS 1917)↗ · And as for thy nativity, in the day thou wast born thy navel was not cut, neither wast thou washed in water for cleansing; thou was not salted at all, nor swaddled at all.↗ (Prophets EZK.16.4, JPS 1917)↗ · girded with girdles upon their loins, with pendant turbans upon their heads, all of them captains to look upon, the likeness of the sons of Babylon, even of Chaldea, the land of their nativity.↗ (Prophets EZK.23.15, JPS 1917)↗

nato — Everyday, meaning 1: NATO stands for the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, an alliance of countries in North America and Europe, including the USA, Canada, the UK and many others, which promise to defend each other if one of them is attacked.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: The NATO phonetic alphabet is the list of code words for letters (Alpha, Bravo, Charlie...) used by pilots, police and armies so letters are not misheard on the radio.↗ Example: NATO is an alliance of countries that promise to protect each other.↗ · The UK and Canada are both members of NATO.↗ · NATO leaders met to talk about helping Ukraine.↗ · Finland and Sweden joined NATO after Russia invaded Ukraine.↗ · In the NATO alphabet, A is Alpha and B is Bravo.↗ · The pilot spelt the word as «Charlie, Alpha, Tango».↗ · Some people support NATO and some argue against it.↗ · NATO's headquarters are in Brussels in Belgium.↗

natterjack — Everyday, meaning 1: A small toad of Europe, including Britain and Ireland, with a yellow stripe down its back, that runs rather than hops and has a very loud croak.↗ Example: The natterjack toad has a yellow line down its back.↗ · Natterjacks run along the sand instead of hopping.↗ · We heard natterjacks croaking at the nature reserve.↗ · Natterjack toads are protected because their homes are disappearing.↗ · In Ireland, natterjacks live in a few places in County Kerry.↗ · A natterjack's call can be heard over a kilometre away.↗

natural — Everyday, meaning 1: Natural means made by nature, not by people or machines, like natural rock or natural light.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Natural also means normal or expected: «It's natural to feel nervous».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Natural can mean not fake or pretended.↗ Everyday, meaning 4: A natural is someone who is very good at something without trying hard.↗ Everyday, meaning 5: Natural history is the study of plants, animals and other living things in nature.↗ Example: Wood is a natural material; plastic is not.↗ · It's natural to feel nervous before a test.↗ · An earthquake is a natural disaster.↗ · The room has lots of natural light.↗ · Natural numbers are the numbers we count with.↗ · She's a natural at swimming.↗ · Just smile and be natural for the photo.↗ · Rivers and mountains are natural features.↗ · And Moses was a hundred and twenty years old when he died: his eye was not dim, nor his natural force abated.↗ (Torah DEU.34.7, JPS 1917)↗ · III, 2, prove undoubtedly that he had no knowledge whatever of natural science, and therefore his annotations on the book "Yezirah" are of little or no use at all.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · The Twenty-eighth Path is the Natural Intelligence, and is so called because through it is consummated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗

naturalist — Everyday, meaning 1: A naturalist is a person who studies plants, animals and nature, often by watching them carefully in the wild.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: (rare, art and literature) A naturalist is a writer or artist who shows life exactly as it is.↗ Example: Charles Darwin was a naturalist who sailed around the world.↗ · The park naturalist showed us how to find frogs.↗ · She keeps a nature diary like a real naturalist.↗ · David Attenborough is a famous naturalist and broadcaster.↗ · The naturalist sketched every butterfly she saw.↗ · Our class joined the Young Naturalists club.↗ · A naturalist needs patience and sharp eyes.↗ · "There sits a good specimen of a toad," said the naturalist.↗

naturally — Everyday, meaning 1: In a natural way, without people making or changing it: «naturally sweet».↗ Everyday, meaning 2: Of course; as you would expect: «Naturally, she was happy».↗ Everyday, meaning 3: Easily, without trying hard: «Swimming comes naturally to him».↗ Everyday, meaning 4: Relaxed and normal: «Just act naturally».↗ Example: Honey is naturally sweet.↗ · Wool is a naturally warm material.↗ · Naturally, we were excited about the trip.↗ · Singing comes naturally to my sister.↗ · Just smile and act naturally for the photo.↗ · Some rivers are naturally salty.↗ · My hair is naturally curly.↗ · Naturally they began to talk about the bronze ring.↗

nature — Everyday, meaning 1: Nature is everything in the world not made by people: plants, animals, rocks, rivers, the sky and the weather.↗ Everyday, meaning 2: A person's or animal's nature is what they are usually like inside, their character.↗ Everyday, meaning 3: The nature of something is what kind of thing it is.↗ Example: We went on a nature walk and saw a hedgehog.↗ · Leaves, birds and rivers are all part of nature.↗ · Please don't drop litter; we must look after nature.↗ · It's in a cat's nature to chase mice.↗ · She is kind by nature.↗ · The park has a nature trail through the woods.↗ · In nature, nothing goes to waste.↗ · Riding a bike becomes second nature after a while.↗ · The laws of nature are unchangeable.↗ · Hence, God loves the number seven under the whole heaven.↗ [37] (In the whole nature.)↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Kalisch 1877)↗ · The Twenty-eighth Path is the Natural Intelligence, and is so called because through it is consummated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1887)↗ · The Twenty-seventh Path is the Exciting Intelli- gence, and it is so called because through it is consum- mated and perfected the nature of every existent being under the orb of the Sun, in perfection.↗ (Sefer Yetzirah, Westcott 1893)↗