near 
iiiujri-, iifi/rr, mi' i. l.ll. miiji r OHli. 
MIKi. milier, iiii'lir/-. inir, <i. iiiilnr Icel. HUT, 
near, nearer, nearly, utmost, when. = Sw. inn 
= Dun. <(), near, nearly, almost, soon, = Goth. 
in liirii, Higher, nearer), compar., with reg. corn- 
par. Kiiflix -'/'-' reiln 1 to -r (superl. next, simi- 
larly contracted), of wrvi/i, \'..uii/li: see mi/li,adr. 
The eompar. near camo to be regarded as a pos- 
it ive, ami a new comparative nearer, with su- 
|K'rl. iirarrxt, was developed. Cf. near 1 , a.] I. 
"'i 1 . If. Nigher; more nigh; closer: compara- 
tive (>f Ilil/ll. 
Ami either while ho goth afarre, 
And other while he draweth iteere. 
(it'll <!-, COIlf. Alll. lilt., 1. 
AH disceyteand dissimulation . . . li nerre to dispraise 
than commendation, all though that therof mought ensue 
some t hinge . . . good. .Sir T. Klyat, The Oovernour, Hi. 4. 
Hence, without comparative force, and with a 
new comparative nearer, superlative nearest 
2. Nigh ; close ; at, to, or toward a point which 
is adjacent or not far off: with such verbs as 
be, com*', ij<>, ili-<nc, move. 
So the! weuten forth alle thre till thel com ner at Tinta- 
gell. Merlin (E. E. T. S.), L 70. 
And si ill the nearer to the spring we 170, 
More limpid, more unsoiled the waters flow. 
Hi,//, a, Rellgio Lalci, 1. 340. 
Death had need be near 
into such men for them to heed him aught. 
William Morris, Earthly Paradise, II. 283. 
3. Nigh, in a figurative sense. 
I think one tailor would go near to beat all this com- 
pany with a hand bound behind him. 
B. Jorum, Bartholomew Fair, r. 3. 
4. Naut., close to the wind : opposed to off. 
6. Closely; intimately. 
The Earl of Amagnac, near knit to Charles. 
Shale., 1 Hen. VI., v. 1. 17. 
6. Almost; nearly. 
We made Sayle backward JC myle towards Corfew, 
whyche we passyd by a fore, because our vltales war ner 
(pent. Torkington, Diarie of Bug. Travell, p. 63. 
In a Forest, i,. 1 , >; dead with grlefe & cold, a rich Fanner 
found him. Copt. John Smith, True Travels, I. 4. 
A literary life of near thirty years. 
ilacaulay, Hist. Eng., vli. 
7. Into close straits; into a critical position. 
How neert, my sweet ^neas, art thou driven ! 
Marlowe and Nauhe, Dido, L 173. 
Near ! no nearer ! (naut.\ words used as a warning to the 
helmsman, when steering by the wind, not to come closer 
to the wind. Never the neart, ne'er the neart, never 
the nearer ; with no success ; unsuccessful. 
Weep thou for me in France, I for thee here ; 
Better far off than near, be ne'er the near. 
Shak., Rich. II., v. 1. 88. 
All was nere the near. Oreene, James IV., 1. 80. 
I will not dispute the matter with them, saith God, from 
day to day, and never the near. Latimer, Works, I. 24S. 
II. )>rri>. 1. Nigh; close to; close by; at no 
great distance from. 
I have heard thee say 
No grief did ever come so near thy heart. 
Shak., T. G. of V., Iv. 8. 19. 
Tills Is a very high cool retreat, and we saw the tops of 
the mountains near this place covered with snow. 
Pococke, Description of the East, II. 1. 96. 
2. Nigh or close to, in a figurative sense. 
You '11 steal away some man s daughter ; am I near you ? 
Middleton, Chaste Maid, i. 1. 
It Is thought this calamity went too near him. 
Steele, Guardian, No. 82. 
[The comparative and superlative fonns nearer and near- 
est are similarly used with the force of prepositions : as, 
the nearer the bone the sweeter the meat] 
near 1 (uer), a. [Early mod. E. also in if, >"' " ' 
< ME. in re, nrrrc, < AS. neiirra, nedra, ncrrn, 
nwrra (= OHG. tidlicre, MHG. ndhcr, writer, G. 
in'ilier = Icel. nterri = Sw. ntera = Dan. )wr), 
nearer; comp. adj., formed, with the adv., from 
the positive adv. and prep, nedli, nigh: see 
ni</li and superl. next, and cf. near 1 , adr.] 1. 
Being nigh in place; being close by; not dis- 
tant; adjacent; contiguous. 
The near and the heavenly horizons. 
Mad. de Gasparin (trans.). 
2. Closely allied by blood ; closely akin. 
She is thy father's near kinswoman. Lev. xviii. 12. 
Some business of concern to a n,;"' relation of mine. 
Cotton, in Walton's Angler, ii. 223. 
3. Intimate; united in close ties of affection 
or confidence ; familiar: as, a near friend. 
Every man is ,i,nr,*t to himself. 
l-\,f,l. I'eikin Warbeck, ii. 2. 
They alihor all companions at last, even their nearest 
acqualntaiirr-. r.m-tnn, Amit. of Mel., p. 240. 
4. Affect ing one's interest or feelings; touch- 
ing; coming home to one. 
3040 
He hath sent me an earnest inviting, which many m> 
near occasions did urge me to put otf . 
Shak., T. of A., III. 6. 11. 
A matter of so great and near concernment Locke. 
5. Close; not deviating from an original or 
model ; observant of the style or manner of the 
thing copied ; literal: as, a near translation. 
6. So as barely to escape injury, danger, or ex- 
posure; close; narrow. [Colloq.] 
Long chase* and near etcapet of Tantla Topee. 
II. //. lluarll, Diary In India, II. 300. 
7. In riding or driving, on the left: opposed 
to off: as, the near side; the near fore leg. 
Our neere horse did fling himself, kicking of the coach- 
box over the pole ; and a great deal of trouble It was to 
get him right again. I'epyi, Diary, IV. 74. 
The near wheeler, who was breaking her trot 
Latrrence, Guy Livingstone, vlil. 
8. Short ; serving to bring the object close. 
TIs somewhat about, 
But I can find a nearer way. 
Shirley, The Traitor, III 3. 
9. Economical; closely calculating; also, c-lose; 
parsimonious. 
Xmr and provident In their families, commending good 
husbandry. l{. Knox (Arber's Eng. Garner, I. S39). 
Miss, he's so near, it's partly a wonder how he lives at 
alt Mia Barney, Cecilia, II. 9. 
His neighbours call him near, which always means that 
the person in question is a lovable skinflint. 
George Xliot, Mill on the Floss, ii. 12. 
10. Empty. Halliwell. [Prov. Eng.] Near 
hand*. See hand and near-hand. =Syn. L Contiguous, 
proximate, neighboring, imminent, impending, approach- 
Ing. Xearent, fiext are sometimes synonymous words : as, 
nearest or next of kin ; but specially the first denotes the 
closest relative proximity, while the second denotes the 
proximate place in order. Compare the nearest house 
with the next house. 
near 1 (ner), v. t. [(= G. niihern = Sw. narma = 
Dan. nterme, bring near); < wear 1 , adv. The 
older verb is niak.] I. trans. To come near 
or nearer; stand near; approach: as, the ship 
neared the laud. 
Give up your key 
Unto that lord that neares you. 
II, l/'ll ':::!. K*<\;l] Klllg. 
II. in trans. To come nearer ; approach. 
A speck, a mist, a shape, I wist ! 
And still it neared and \\ecired. 
Coleridge, Ancient Mariner, ill. 
near 2 , n. See nter'*. 
near 3 (ner), cotij. A. contracted form of neither. 
[Puov. Eng.] 
near-by (ner'bi), a. Close at hand; not far 
off; adjacent; neighboring: as, near-by towns. 
[Colloq., U. S.] 
The near-by trade and Western dealers are buying mod- 
erately. The Indepettdent (New York), May 1, 1862. 
Nearctic (ne-ark'tik), a. [< Gr. vfor,, new, + 
apKTiKof, northern, arctic : see arctic.") In zt>ii- 
geng., belonging to the northern part of the New 
World or western hemisphere : specifically ap- 
plied to one of the six prime divisions of the 
earth's surface made by Sclater with reference 
to the geographical distribution of animals : dis- 
tinguished from Seotromcal in the New World 
and I'alearctic in the Old. The Nearctic region In- 
cludes all of North America with Greenland to a latitude 
on the average of about the tropic of Cancer ; but such is 
the character of the country toward its southern boundary 
that it properly stops at sea-level opposite the mouth of 
the Rio Grande on the one side of Mexico, and at Mazatlan 
on the opposite coast, but in the table-lands extends much 
further south, and in the tierra fria or mountainous regions 
quite through Guatemala. Also Xeoarctic and Anytixjtean. 
near-dweller (uer'dwel'er), n. A neighbor. 
We may chance 
Meet some of our near-dweller* with my car. 
Keati, Endymion, i. 
near-hand (ner'hand), odt). [< ME. nerehande ; 
<. near 1 + hand. Cf . nii/h-hand.] Near at hand; 
nearly; almost. [Old Eng. and Scotch.] 
And I awaked there-with witles nerehamle, 
And as a freke that fre were forth gan I walke. 
Piers Plowman (B), xlii. 1. 
I have been watchman in this wood 
Sear hand this forty year. 
Hobin Hood and the Beggar (Child's Ballads, V. 194). 
near-hand (ner'hand), (I. Near; close at hand; 
nigh ; adjacent. [Old Eug. and Scotch.] 
They haue euer gently and louingly intreated such as of 
friendly mind came to them, as-wetl from Coun tries neon 
In mil. as farre remote. Ilakluyt't Yayayei, I. 231. 
near-legged (uer'leg'ed or -legd), a. Walking 
with the feet so near each other that they come 
in contact. Shak., T. of the S., iii. 2. 57. 
nearly (ner'li), mir. 1. Close at hand : in close 
proximity : at no great distance ; hence, narrow- 
ly; with'close scrutiny. 
Tis dangerous for the most innocent person in the world 
lobe too frequently and nearly a witness to the commis- 
sion of vice and folly. Up. Atterlxani, Sermons, I. x. 
neat 
See the fact! nearly, and these mountainous Inequalities 
vanish. " l "m|>< i> 
2. Closely: as, two persons nmrly related. 3. 
Intimately; pn'ssingly ; with a close relation to 
one's interest or happiness. 
Madam, the business now Impos'd upon me 
Concerns you nearly. 
Beau, and /'/., Woman-Hator, T. ft. 
4. Within a little of ; almost: as, near/* twenty ; 
the prisoner nearly escaped; nearly dead with 
eold. 
I took my leave, for It was nearly noon. 
Trnnynon, PrlnceM, V. 
5. With niggardliness or parsimony. 0. Ex- 
actly; precisely. 
As nearly as I may, 
111 play the penitent to you ; but mine honesty 
shall not make poor my greatness. 
Shak., A. and ('., ii. -'. 91. 
nearness (ner'nes), n. The state or fact of be- 
ing near, in any sense ; proximity ; imminence. 
near-point (ner'point), n. The nearest point, 
as the/ar-point is the farthest point, which the 
eye can bring to a focus on the retina. 
near-sighted (ner'si'ted), a. Short-sighted; 
seeing distinctly at a short distance only; my- 
opic. 
near-sightedness (ner'si'ted-nes), n. The 
state of being near-sighted ; myopia. 
neat 1 (net), . and a. [Also dial, note, nout, 
nolt (< Icel.); < ME. neet, nete, net, < AS. neat, pi. 
neat (also deriv. niton, nyten), an ox or cow, cat- 
tle collectively (= OPnes. not = OHG. MHG. 
nos, G. dial, noss = Icel. naut (also deriv. neyti) 
= Sw. not = Dan. nod, cattle, in Scand. also an 
ox); prob. so called as being 'used' or employed 
in work (cf. cattle and stock), or because orig. 
'taken' and domesticated, < neotan, niotan. use, 
employ, = OS. niotan OFries. nieta = OHG. 
niozan, MHG. niezen, OHG. ginioean, MHG. 
geniezen, G. geniessen = Icel. njota = Sw. njuta 
= Dan. nyde = Goth, niutan, take part in, ob- 
tain, ganiutan, take (with a net); cf. Lith. 
nauda, usefulness. From the same verb is de- 
rived the noun note?.] I. n. 1. Cattle of the 
bovine genus, as bulls, oxen, and cows: used 
collectively. 
And loyned til hem on lohan most gentil of alle, 
The prys neet of Peers plonh passynge alle otliere. 
Piers Plmnnan (('), xxil. 200. 
From thence Into the open fields he fled, 
Whereas the Heardes were keeping of their neat. 
Speneer, V. Q., VI. lx. 4. 
2. A single bovine animal. [Rare.] 
A neat and a sheep of his own. Turner, Husbandry. 
Neat's-foot Oil, an oil obtained from the feet of neat 
cattle. Neat's leather, leather made uf the hides of neat 
cattle. 
As proper men as ever trod upon neat'f leather have gone 
upon my handiwork. Shak., J. C., i. 1. 29. 
II. a. Being or relating to animals of the ox 
kind : as, neat cattle. 
We must be neat ; not neat, but cleanly, captain ; 
And yet the steer, the heifer, and the calf 
Are all called neat. Shak., W. T., i. 2. 12ft. 
neat 2 (net), a. [< ME. net, nette, 'nete (= D. 
net = G. nett = Sw. na'tt = Dan. net), < OF. 
net, fern, nete, F. net, fern, nette (> mod. E. net?) 
= Pr. net = Sp. neto = Pg. nedeo = It. netto, 
clear, pure, neat, < L. nitidus, shining, neat, < 
uitere, shine. Cf. we/ a , and nitid. from the same 
source.] 1. Clear; pure; unmixed; undiluted; 
unadulterated: as, a glass of brandy neat. 
Tis rich neat canary. 
Marston, Antonio and Mellida, I., ii. 
After the soap has been finished In the copper, it may 
... be put in the neat state direct into the cooling-boxes 
or "frames." IF. L. Carpenter, Soap and Candles, p. 174. 
2. Clear of any extraneous matter; clear of the 
cask, case, wrapper, etc. ; with all deductions 
made : as, neat weight. [In this sense now usu- 
ally net.'] 
The new Cairo answereth euery yeere In tribute to the 
grand Signior 600,000 ducates of golde, neat and free of all 
charges growing on the same. Uakluyt't Voyage*, II. 200. 
3. Free from what is undesirable, offensive, un- 
becoming, or in bad taste; pleasing; nice. 
Sluttery to such neat excellence opposed. 
Shak., O-mbellne, I- 44. 
He desired not so much neat and polite as clear, mascu- 
line, and apt expression. 
Bacon, Advancement of Learning, Pref., p. xL 
They make the neateit ahewe of all the houses in Paris. 
Coryat, Crudities, I. 30. 
Alin. What music 's this? 
hil. Retire : 'tis some neat joy, 
In honour of the king's great day. 
Fletcher, Pilgrim, v. 4. 
I have not heard a neater sermon a great while, and more 
t<> my content. PfV. Diary, L 310. 
