nidder 
cold or hunger; hence, to stunt in growth. 
Jamieson. 4. To harass; plague; annoy. 
They niddart ither wi' lang braid swords, 
Till they were bleecly men. 
Rose the Red and White LUlie (Child's Ballads, V. 403). 
[Scotch in all uses.] 
niddicockt (nid'i-kok), . [< niddy + cock 1 , 
used as a dim. suffix.] A foolish person; a 
noodle. 
They were neuer such fond niddicockeg as to offer anie 
man a rod to beat their own tailes. 
llolinshed, Chronicles of Ireland, p. 94. 
Oh Chrysostome. thou . . . deservest to be stak d, as 
well as buried in the open fields, for being such a goose, 
widgeon, and niddeeock, to dye for love. 
Gayton's Feslivous Notes, p. 61. (Nares.) 
niddipollt (nid'i-pol), a. [< niddy + poll 1 .] 
Foolish ; silly. Stanihurst, jEneid, iv. 110. 
niddle-noddle (nid'l-nod"l), . i. [Freq. and 
dim. of nidnod.~\ To nod or shake lightly; 
waggle. 
Her head niddle-noddled at every word. 
Hood, Miss Kilmansegg, Her Christening. 
niddle-noddle (nid'l-nod"l), a. [< niddle-nod- 
dle, f.] Vacillating: as, "niddle-noddle poli- 
ticians," W. Combe, Dr. Syntax, iii. 1. 
niddy (nid'i), n. ; pi. niddies (-iz). [Appar. a 
var. of noddy.} A fool; a dunce; a noodle. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
nidet (nid), . [= F. nid, OF. ni (> E. obs. ny 1 ) 
= Pr. niu, nieu, nig, ni = Sp. nido = Pg. ninito 
= It. nido, nidio, < L. nidus, a nest, a brood: see 
nest 1 ."} A nest ; a nestf ul ; a clutch or brood : 
as, a nide of pheasants. Johnson. 
nideringt (nid 'er- ing), a. [A var. of Hiding, 
nitlii>tg7\ Same as nithing. 
Faithless, mansworn, and nidering. Scott. 
niderling (nid'er-ling), 11. [A var. of nidering, 
with term, -ling 1 .'] Same as nithing. [Prov. 
Eng.] 
nidge (nij), v. t. ; pret. and pp. nidged, ppr. nidg- 
iny. [An assibilated form of nig 2 .} In ma- 
sonry, to dress the face of (a stone) with a sharp- 
pointed hammer instead of a chisel and mallet. 
Also nig Nidged or nigged ashler, stone dressed on 
the surface with a pick or sharp-pointed hammer, 
nidgeryt (nij'er-i), n. [< OF. nigerie, trifling, 
< nigcr, trifle. Cf. nidget.} A trifle ; a piece of 
foolery. Skinner; Coles. 
nidgett (nij'et), n. [Also nigcot, nigit, nigget; 
< OF. niger, trifle. Cf. nidgery.] A noodle ; a 
fool ; an idiot. 
Fear him not, mistress. 'Tis a gentle nigget ; you may 
play with him, as safely with him as with his bauble. 
Middleton and Rowley, Changeling, iii. 3. 
It[niding] signifteth,as it seemeth, no more thanabiect, 
base-minded, false-hearted, coward, or nidget. 
Camden, Remains, Languages. 
This cleane nigit was a foole, 
Shapt in meane of all. 
Annin's Nest of Ninnies (1608). (HaUiwett.) 
nidging (nij'ing), a. [< "nidge, implied in nidg- 
cry, nidget, + -ing 2 .} Insignificant; trifling. 
If I was Mr. Mandlebert, I 'd sooner have her than any 
of 'em, for all she 's such a nidging little thing. 
Miss Barney, Camilla, v. 3. (Davies.) 
nidi, n. Plural of nidus. 
nidificant (md'i-fi-kant),a. [< L. nidifican(t-)s, 
ppr. of nidificare, build a nest: see nidificate.] 
Nest-building; constructing a nest, as a bird. 
nidificate (nid'i-fi-kat), v. i.; pret. and pp. nidi- 
ficated, ppr. nidificating. [< L. nidificatus, pp. 
of nidificare, build a nest: see nidify.] To 
build a nest ; nestle. 
"With every step of the recent traveller our inheritance 
of the wonderful is diminished. . . . Where are the fishes 
which nidificated in trees? 
LoweU, Fireside Travels, p. 172. 
nidification (nid"i-fi-ka'shon), . [< nidificate 
4- -ion.} Nest-building ; the act or art of con- 
structing nests, especially with reference to the 
mode or style in which this is done. 
nidify (nid'i-fi), v. i. ; pret. and pp. nidified, ppr. 
nidifying. [< OF. nidifier, make a nest (also 
vernacularly nicher, niger, F. nicher, make a 
nest, nestle), = Sp. Pg. nidificar=It. nidificare, 
< L. nidificare, build a nest, < nidus, a nest, + 
-ficare, < facere, make: see nide and -fy.] To 
build a nest ; nidificate. 
Most birds nidify, i. e. prepare a receptacle for the eggs, 
to aggregate them in a space that may be covered by the 
incubating body (sand-hole of Ostrich), or superadd ma- 
terials to keep in the warmth. Owen, Anat. , II. 257. 
It is not necessary to suppose that each separate spe- 
cies [of conspicuously colored female birds] had its nidi- 
fying instinct specially modified. 
Darwin, Descent of Man, II. 164. 
nidingt (ni'ding), n. and a. See nitJiing. 
nidnod (nid'nod), r. ; pret. and pp. nidnodded, 
ppr. nidnodding. [A varied redupl. of nod.] To 
3988 
nod repeatedly; keep nodding, as when very 
sleepy. 
And Lady K. nid-nodded her head, 
Lapp'd in a turban fancy-bred. 
Hood, Miss Kilmansegg, Her Fancy Ball. 
That odd little nidnodding face is too good to be kept 
all to ourselves. 
Miss Ferrier, Inheritance, iii. 104. (Dames.) 
nidor (ni'dor), n. [= It. nidore, < L. nidor, a 
vapor, steam, smell, savor.] Odor; savor; sa- 
vory smell, as of cooked food. 
The flesh-pots reek, anil the uncovered dishes send forth 
a nidor and hungry smells. 
Jer. Taylor, Works (ed. 1835), I. 702. 
nidorose (ni'do-ros), a. [< L. nidorosus, steam- 
ing, reeking, < 'nidor, a steam, smell, aroma : see 
nidor.} Same as nidorous. Arbuthnot. [Rare.] 
nidorosity(ni-d9-ros'i-ti),. [<.nidorose+ -ity.] 
Eructation with the taste of undigested meat. 
The cure of this nidorosity is by vomiting and purging. 
Flayer, Preternatural State of the Animal Humours. 
{(Latham.) 
nidorous (ni'do-rus), a. [Sometimes nidrous; 
= F. nidoreux = Pg. It. nidoroso, < L. nidorosus, 
steaming: see nidorose.] Steaming; reeking; 
resembling the odor or flavor of cooked meat. 
Incense and nidorous smells, such as were of sacrifices, 
were thought to intoxicate the brain, and to dispose men 
to devotion. Bacon, Nat. Hist., 932. 
nidose (m'dos), a. [Short for nidorose.} Emit- 
ting a stench like that of burnt meat, rotten 
eggs, or other decaying animal matter. 
nidulant (nid'u-lant), a. [< L. nidulan(t-)s, ppr. 
of nidutari, build a nest: see nidulate, v.} In 
bot., lying free in a cup-shaped or nest-like 
body, as the sporangia in the receptacle of 
plants of the genus Nidularia ; also, lying loose 
in pulp, like the seeds of true berries. Lindley. 
Also nidulate. 
Nidularia (nid-u-la'ri-a), n. [NL. (Tulosne, 
1844), < L. nidulus, a little nest, < nidus, a nest: 
see nide, nidus.] A genus of gasteromycetous 
fungi, typical of the family jfidulariacete. The 
peridium is sessile, globose, at first closed, but at length 
opening with a circular mouth ; sporangia numerous ; 
spores minute. Fourteen species are known, growing on 
wood, some of which are popularly known as fairy-purses. 
Nidulariacese (nid-u-la-ri-a'se-e), n. pi. [NL. 
(Elias Fries, 1822), < Nidularia + -acece.} A 
family of gasteromycetous fungi, taking its 
name from the genus Nidularia. The spores are 
contained within a distinct peridium, either simple or 
double, which becomes transformed into a gelatinous sub- 
stance over the apical region, exposing the interior. Also 
Nidulariacei. See bird 's-nest fungus, under bird's-nest. 
Nidularieae(uiil"u-la-ri'e-e), n. pi. [NL.,< Ni- 
dularia + -eie.] Same as Nidulariaceai. 
Nidularium (nid-ii-la'ri-um), n. [NL. (Le- 
maine, 1854), so called in allusion to the head of 
blossoms sessile among taller involucral leaves 
as in a nest ; < L. nidulus, a little nest, dim. of 
nidus, a nest: see nide, nidus.] A genus of tropi- 
cal monocotyledonous plants of the order Bro- 
meliacca; and the tribe Bromelieee, known by its 
free sepals, partly coherent petals, involucral 
leaves, and anthers attached by their back. 
By Bentham and Hooker it is made part of the 
genus Karatas. See karatas and silk-grass. 
nidulate (nid'u-lat), v. i. ; pret. and pp. nidu- 
lated, ppr. nidnlating. [< L. nidulatus, pp. of 
nidulari, build a nest, make a nest for, freq. (cf. 
nidulus, dim.), < nidus, a nest : see nide, nidus.] 
To build a nest ; nidificate ; nidify. 
nidulate (nid'u-lat), a. [< L. nidulatus, pp.: see 
the verb.] In bot., same as nidulant. 
nidulation (nid-u-la'shon), n. [< nidulate + 
-ion.} 1. Nidification; nest-building. Sir T. 
Browne, Vulg. Err., iii. 10. 2. Nesting, as of 
young birds. 
nidus (ni'dus), n.; pi. nidi (-di). [L., a nest: 
see nide, ny 1 , and nest 1 .] 1. A nest; specifi- 
cally, in entom., the nest, case, or cell formed by 
an insect or a spider for the reception of its 
eggs. 2. A place or point in a living organism 
where a germ, whether proper or foreign to the 
organism, normal or morbid, may find means of 
development : as, the nidus of the embryo in the 
womb; the nidus of a parasite in the intes- 
tine; the nidus of pus. 
The poison of small-pox has its nidus in the deep layer 
of the skin; hence its characteristic eruption. 
Dr. T. J. Maclagan. 
3. Any one of the small collections of ganglion- 
cells in the medulla oblongata and elsewhere 
which constitute the deep origins of cranial 
nerves: usually called nucleus Nidus avis. Same 
as nidus hirundinig. Nidus equse, a mare's-nest. [Hu- 
morous.] 
A singularly fine example of a nidus equae. 
IV. T. Blanford, Nature, XXXII. 243. 
niello 
Nidus hirundinis,orswaWoM'Vtte#,adeep fossa on either 
side of the under surface of the cerebellum, between the 
posterior medullary velum and the uvula. 
niece (nes), . [< ME. nece, neice, neipce, < OF. 
niece, xicpcc, F. niece = Pr. nepsa (< ML.*ne/><ia), 
cf. Pr. nejita = Sp. nieta = Cat. Pg. neta, < ML. 
iicpta; the forms 'neptia and nepttt being var. 
forms of L. neptis, a granddaughter, niece, = 
AS. nij't, ME. nifte = OS. OFries. nift = D. nicht 
= MLG. nicJite, nifte, LG. nicht (> G. nichte) = 
OHG. nift, dim. niftila, MHG. G. niflel = Icel. 
nipt (pron. nift), niece ; = Skt. nnpti, daughter, 
granddaughter; a fern, form to nephew: see 
nephew.] If. A grandchild, or more remote 
lineal descendant, whether male or female ; 
specifically, a granddaughter. 
Laban answeride to hym: My dowytres and sones, arid 
the flockis, and alle that thou beholdist, ben myne, and 
what may I do to my sones and to my ncces? 
Wydif, Gen. xxxi. 43. 
The emperor Augustus, among other singularities that 
he had by himself during his life, saw, ere he died, the 
nephew of his niece that is tosay.hisprogenytothe fourth 
degree of lineal descent. Holland, tr. of Pliny, i. 162. 
Who meets us here ? my niece Plantagenet, 
Led in the hand of her kind aunt of Gloucester. 
Shak., Eich. III., Iv. 1. 1. 
2. The daughter of one's brother or sister. 
I scarce did know you, uncle : there lies your niece, 
Whose breath, indeed, these hands have newly stopp'd. 
Shak., Othello, v. 2. 201. 
O by the bright head of my little niece, 
You were that Psyche, and what are you now? 
Tennyson, Princess, ii. 
nieceship (nes'ship), . [< niece + -ship.] The 
relationship of a niece. [Rare.] 
She was allied to Ham ... in another way besides this 
remote niece-ship. Southey, Doctor, Ixxii. (Dame*.) 
nieft, n. An obsolete form of neaf. 
niel (ni-el'), n. and v. [< F. niclle: see niello.] 
Same as niello. 
nielled (ni-eld' ),;>.. I<niel + -ed2.] Nielloed. 
niellistt (ni-el'ist), n. [< niello + -int.} A 
worker in niello ; a maker of niellos. 
Michelangelo di Viviano was employed at the Mint, and 
highly reputed as a niellist, enamellist, and goldsmith. 
C. C. Perkins, Italian Sculpture, p. 310. 
niello (ni-el'6), n. [= F. nielle = Sp. niel, < It. 
niello, < ML. nigellum, neut. of L. nigellus, black- 
ish, dark, dim. of niger, black : see negro, nigres- 
cent.] 1. A design in black on a surface of 
silver, as that of a plaque, chalice, or any or- 
namental or useful object, formed by engrav- 
ing the design and then filling up the incised 
N iello, from top of snuff-box. 
furrows with an alloy composed of silver, cop- 
per, lead, crude sulphur, and borax, thus pro- 
ducing the effect of a black drawing on the 
bright surface. The process is of Italian ori- 
gin, and is still extensively practised in Russia, 
where the finest niello is now produced. In 
many examples, conversely, the ground is cut 
out and inlaid with the black alloy, on which the 
design appears white or bright, as in the cut. 
2. An impression taken from the engraved sur- 
face before the incised Hues have been filled up. 
Itisfrom such impressions, accidental or intentional, that 
the modern art of incised engraving on metal is held to 
have originated in the fifteenth century, in the shop of 
the Florentine goldsmith i'iniguerra. 
