no 
But how compells he ? doubtless HO otherwise then he 
draws, without which no man can come to him. 
Milton, Civil Power. 
No. An abbreviation of the Latin numero, ab- 
lative of numerus, number: used for English 
number, and so as a plural Nos. : as, No. 2, and 
Nos. 9 and 10. 
no-account (no'a-kounf), <i. [A reduction of 
the phrase of no account.] Worthless. [South- 
ern U. S.] 
Noachian (no-a'ki-an), a. [< Noah (*Noach) 
(LL. Noa, N~oe, < Gr. NUF, < Heb. Noach) + 
-Jan.] Of or relating to Noah the patriarch or 
his time: as, the Noachian deluge; Noachian 
laws or precepts. 
Noachic (no-ak'ik), a. [< Noah (*Noach: see 
Noachian) + -ic.] Of or pertaining to Noah ; 
Noachian Noachic Laws, or Law of Holiness, in 
early Jewish hist., a code of laws relating to blasphemy, 
idolatry, etc., enforced on Israelites and foreigners dwell- 
ing in Palestine. 
Noachid (no'a-kid), . One of the Noachidse. 
In the tenth chapter of the book of Genesis, in the list 
of Noachids. J. Hadley, Essays, p. 10. 
Noachidse (no-ak'i-de), n. pi. [< Noah ('Noach) 
+ -ida;.] The descendants of Noah, especially 
as enumerated in the table of nations given in 
Gen. x. 
Noah's ark. 1. The ark in which, according to 
the account in Genesis, Noah and his family, 
with many animals, were saved in the deluge. 
2. A child's toy representing this ark with 
its occupants. 
Noah's Arks, in which the Birds and Beasts were an un- 
commonly tight fit. Dickens, Cricket on the Hearth, ii. 
3. Parallel streaks of cirrus cloud, appearing 
by the effect of perspective to converge toward 
the horizon: in some countries a sign of rain. 
Also called polar bands. 4. A bivalve mollusk, 
Area none, an ark-shell : so named by Linnaeus. 
5. In bot., the larger yellow lady's-slipper, 
Cypripedium piibescens. 
Noah's gourd or bottle. See gourd. 
nob 1 (nob), n. [A simplified spelling of knob, 
in various dial, or slang applications not recog- 
nized in literary use. Cf. waft 2 .] 1. The head. 
[Humorous.] 
The not of Charles the Fifth ached seldomer under a 
monk's cowl than under the diadem. 
Lamb, To Barton, Dec. 8, 1829. 
2. In gun., the plate under the swing-bed for the 
head of an elevating-screw. E. H. Knight. 3. 
Same as knobstick, 2. Black nob, the bullfinch. 
One for his nob. (a) A blow on the head delivered in a 
pugilistic fight. (Slang. ] (6) A point counted in the game 
of cribbage for holding the knave of trumps. 
nob 2 (nob), v. 1.; pret. and pp. nobbed, ppr. nob- 
bing. [Prob. < nob\n. Cf.jowl, v., <jowl, n.] 
To beat ; strike. Halliwell. [Prov. Bug.] 
nob 3 (nob), n. [Said to be an abbr. of noble lord 
or nobleman.'] A member of the aristocracy; a 
swell. [Slang.] 
"There 's not any public dog-fights," I was told and 
"very seldom any in u pit at a public-house ; but there 's 
a good deal of it, I know, at the private houses of the 
nobs," . . . a common designation for the rich among these 
sporting people. 
Mayhew, London Labour and London Poor, II. 64. 
nob. An abbreviation of nobis. 
nobbily (nob'i-li), adv. In a nobby manner; 
showily; smartly. [Slang.] 
nobble (nob'l),t>. *.; pret. and pp. nobbled, ppr. 
nobbling. [Freq. of nob 1 *. In sense 2 perhaps 
for "nubble, freq. of nab 1 .] 1. To strike; nob. 
[Prov. Ehg.] 2. To get hold of dishonestly; 
nab; filch. [Slang.] 
The old chap has nobbled the young fellow's money al- 
most every shilling of it, I hear. Thackeray, Philip, rvi. 
3. To frustrate; circumvent; get the better 
of; outdo. [Slang.] 
It was never quite certain whether he [Palmerston] was 
going to nobble the Tories or " square " the Radicals 
Fortnightly Ben., N. S., XXXIX. 136. 
4. To injure ; destroy the chances of winning, 
as bv maiming or poisoning : said of a horse. 
[Racing slang.] 5. To shingle. See shingle 
and puddle. 
nobbier (nob'16r), . [Also knobblcr; < nobble + 
-eel.] i. A. finishing stroke; a blow on the 
head. [Slang.] 2. A thimble-rigger's con- 
federate. [Slang.] 3. A dram of spirits. 
[Australia.] 
He must drink a nobbier with Tom, and be prepared to 
shout for all hands at least once a day. 
A. C. Brant, Bush Life in Queensland, I. 243. 
tter. Some- 
4. Ashingler. See puddle and pudttt 
times spelled knobbler. 
nobblin (nob'lin ), n. [A dial, form of *nobbling, 
verbal n. of nobble, v., 5.] In certain furnaces 
4002 
of Yorkshire, England, plates of puddled iron as 
produced by the shingler or nobbier in a con- 
venient form to be broken up so that the pieces 
may be carefully sorted for further treatment. 
The object is to produce a superior quality of manufac- 
tured iron, this superiority depending on the quality of 
the ore and fuel as well as on certain peculiarities in the 
methods of working. Also spelled noblin. 
nobbut (nob'ut), ado. [A dial, fusion of not 
but, none but.} Only; no one but; nothing but. 
[Prov. Eng.] 
nobby (nob'i), . [< mo&S + -#l.] 1. Having 
an aristocratic appearance; showy; elegant; 
fashionable ; smart. [Slang.] 2. Good; cap- 
ital. [Slang.] 
Ill come back in the course of the evening, if agreeable 
to you, and endeavor to meet your wishes respecting this 
unfortunate family matter, and the nobbiest way of keep- 
ing it quiet. Dickens, Bleak House, liv. 
nobile oflicium (nob'i-le o-fish'i-um). [L., lit. 
'noble office': nobite, neut. of nobilis, noble; 
offieium, office : see office.] In Scotland, an ex- 
ceptional power possessed by the Court of Ses- 
sion to interpose in questions of equity, so as 
to modify or abate the rigor of the law, and to 
a certain extent to give aid where no strictly 
legal remedy can be obtained. 
nobiliary (no-bU'i-a-ri), a. and . [< F. nobi- 
liaire = Sp. Pg. nobi/iario,< L. nobilis, noble : see 
noble.] I. a. Of or pertaining to the nobility. 
Nobiliary, in such a phrase as " nobiliary roll," or " nobil- 
iary element of Parliament " is a term of patent utility, 
and one to which we should try to habituate ourselves. 
F. Hall, Mod. Eng., p. 377. 
II. ii. ; pi. nobiliaries (-riz). A history of 
noble families. 
nqbilify (no-bil'i-fi), v. t.j pret. and pp. nobili- 
Jied, ppr. nobilifying. [< L. nobilis, noble, -f 
-ftcare, make: see -fy.] To nobilitate. Holland. 
tfobili's rings. See ring. 
nobilitate (no-bil'i-tat), v. t. ; pret. and pp. no- 
bilitated, ppr. nobilitating. [< L. nobilitatus, 
pp. of nobilitare, make known, render famous, 
render excellent, make noble, ennoble,< nobilis, 
known, famous, noble: see noble.] To make 
noble; ennoble; dignify; exalt. 
That, being nobly born, he might persever, 
Enthron'd by fame, nobilitated ever. 
Ford, Fame's Memorial. 
nobilitate (no-bil'i-tat), . [< L. nobilitatus, 
pp. : see the verb.] Ennobled. 
The branches of the principal family of Douglas which 
were nobilitate. Nisbet, Heraldry (1816), I. 74. 
nobilitation (no-bil-i-ta'shon), n. [= OF. no- 
bilitation, < L. as if *nobilit'atio(n-), < nobilitare, 
make noble : see nobilitate.] The act of nobili- 
tating or making noble. 
Both the prerogatives and rights of the divine majesty 
are concerned, and also the perfection, nobilitation, and 
salvation of the souls of men. 
Dr. H. More, Antidote against Idolatry, ii. 
nobility (no-bil'i-ti), n. [< OF. nobilite, no- 
bilete, nobilited, also noblete, noblite, F. nobilite 
= Pr. nobilitat, nobletat = It. nobilitd, < L. 
nobilita(t-)s, celebrity, excellence, nobility, < 
nobilis, known, celebrated, noble: see noble. 
The older nouns in E. are noblesse and nobley.] 
1. The character of being noble; nobleness; 
dignity of mind ; that elevation of soul which 
comprehends bravery, generosity, magnanim- 
ity, intrepidity, and contempt of everything 
that dishonors character; loftiness of tone; 
greatness; grandeur. 
Though she hated Amphialus, yet the nobility, of her 
courage prevailed over it. Sir P. Sidney. 
Sweet mercy is nobility's true badge. 
Shak., Tit. And., i. 1. 119. 
There is a nobility without heraldry, a natural dignity. 
Sir T. Browne, Religio Medici, ii. 1. 
2. Social or political preeminence, usually ac- 
companied by special hereditary privileges, 
founded on hereditary succession or descent; 
eminence or dignity derived by inheritance 
from illustrious ancestors, or specially con- 
ferred by sovereign authority. The Constitution 
of the United States provides (art. 1, sec. ix.): "No title of 
nobility shall be granted by the United States." 
He call'd them untaught knaves, unmannerly, 
To bring a slovenly unhandsome corse 
Betwixt the wind and his nobility. 
Shak. ,\ Hen. IV., 1.3. 45. 
New nobility is but the act of power, but ancient nobil- 
ity is the act of time. Bacon, Nobility. 
Nobility without an estate ia as ridiculous as gold lace 
on a frieze coat. Sheridan, The Duenna, ii. 3. 
The great peculiarity of the baronial estate in England 
as compared with the continent is the absence of the idea 
of caste : the English lords do not answer to the nobles of 
France or to the princes and counts of Germany because 
in our system the theory of nobility of blood as conveying 
noble 
political privilege has no legal recognition. English nobil- 
ity is merely the nobility of the hereditary counsellors of 
the crown, the right to give counsel being involved at one 
time in the tenure of land, at another in the fact of sum- 
mons, at another in the terms of a patent ; it is the result 
rather than the cause of peerage. The nobleman is the 
person who for his life holds the hereditary office denoted 
or implied by his title. The law gives to his children and 
kinsmen no privilege which it does not give to the ordi- 
nary freeman, unless we regard certain acts of courtesy, 
which the law has recognised, as implying privilege. Such 
legal nubility does not of course preclude the existence of 
real nobility, socially privileged and defined by ancient 
purity of descent or even by connexion with the legal no- 
bility of the peerage ; but the English law does not regard 
the man of most ancient and purest descent as entitled 
thereby to any right or privilege which is not shared by 
every freeman. . . . Nobility of blood that is, nobility 
which was shared by the whole kin alike was a very an- 
cient principle among the Germans, and was clearly recog- 
nized by the Anglo-Saxons in the common institution of 
wergild. Stuubs, Const. Hist., 188. 
In England there is no nobility. The so-called noble 
family is not noble in the continental sense ; privilege does 
not go on from generation to generation ; titles and pre- 
cedence are lost in the second or third generation. 
E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lects., p. 306. 
3. A body of persons enjoying the privileges 
of nobility. Specifically (a) In Great Britain and Ire- 
land, the body of persons holding titles in virtue of which 
they are members of the peerage. See peerage; see also 
quotations from Stubbs and Freeman under def. 2. (ft) In 
sonre European countries, as in Russia, a class holding a 
high rank and enjoying, besides social distinction, special 
privileges ; the noblesse. =Syn. 1. Nobility, Nobleness, ele- 
vation, loftiness, dignity. In application to things noUe- 
ness is rather more appropriate than nobility, as the noble- 
ness of architecture or one's English, while nobility is more 
likely to be applied to persons and their belongings, as 
nobility of character or of rank ; but this distinction Is no 
more than a tendency as yet. See noble. 
nobis (no'bis). [L., dat. of nos, we: see nos- 
trum.] With us ; for or on our part : in zoology 
affixed to the name of an animal to show that 
such name is that which the author himself has 
given or by which he calls the object. The plural 
form is like the editorial "we." The singular mihi, some- 
times used, has the same signification. Usually abbrevi- 
ated -nob. 
noble (no'bl), a. and n. [< ME. noble, < OF. no- 
bit, also nobile, F. noble = Pr. Sp. noble = Pg. 
nobre = It. nobile, < L. nobilis (OL. gnobilis), 
knowable, known, well-known, famous, cele- 
brated, high-born, of noble birth, excellent, < 
noscere, gnoscere, know (= Gr. yiyvumuv), know : 
see know 1 .] I. a. 1. Possessing or character- 
ized by hereditary social or political preemi- 
nence, or belonging to the class which possesses 
such preeminence or dignity ; distinguished by 
birth, rank, or title; of ancient and honorable 
lineage; illustrious: as, a noble personage ; no- 
ble birth. 
He was a noble knyght and an hardy. 
Merlin (E. E. T. S.), ii. 164. 
Come they of noble family? 
Why, so didst thou. Shak., Hen. V., ii. 2. 129. 
The patricians of a Latin town admitted to the Roman 
franchise became plebeians at Rome. Thus, from the be- 
ginning, the Roman plebs contained families which, if the 
word noble has any real meaning, were fully as noble as any 
house of the three elder tribes. 
E. A. Freeman, Amer. Lecte., p. 292. 
2. High in excellence or worth. 
The noble army of Martyrs praise thee. 
Book of Common Prayer, Te Deuni. 
The noblest mind the best contentment has. 
Spenser, F. Q., I. i. 35. 
(a) Great or lofty in character, or in the nature of one's 
achievements; magnanimous; above everything that is 
mean or dishonorable : applied to persons or the mind. 
Noblest of men, woo'tdie? Shak., A. and C., iv. 15. 59. 
He was my friend, 
My noble friend ; I will bewail his ashes. 
Fletcher (and Massinger'!), Lover's Progress, iv. S. 
Though King John had the Misfortune to fall into the 
Hands of his Enemy, yet he had the Happiness to fall into 
the Hands of a noble Enemy. Baker, Chronicles, p. 124. 
Statues, with winding ivy crowned, belong 
To nobler poets, for a nobler song. 
Dryden, tr. of Persius's Satires, i., Prol. 
(ft) Proceeding from or characteristic or indicative of 
greatness of mind : as, noble courage ; noble sentiments ; 
noble thoughts. 
Thus checked, the Bishop, looking round with a noble 
air, cried out, "We commit our cause then to Almighty 
God." Latimer, Life and Writings, p. xxxix. 
For his entertainment, 
Leave that to me ; he shall find noble usage, 
And from me a free welcome. 
Beau, and Fl., Knight of Malta, iii. 2. 
The nnblest service comes from nameless hands, 
And the best servant does his work unseen. 
0. W. Holmes, Ambition, 
(c) Of the best kind ; choice ; excellent. 
And amonges hem. Oyle of Olyve is fulle dere: for the! 
holden it for fulle noble medicyne. 
V'tii'li'tille, Travels, p. 252. 
Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, Jer. ii. 21. 
