Necessary, nes′es-sar-i, adj. that must be: that cannot be otherwise: unavoidable: indispensable: under compulsion: not free.—n. that which cannot be left out or done without (food, &c.)—used chiefly in pl.: a privy.—ns. Necessā′rian, one who holds the doctrine of necessity; Necessā′rianism, the doctrine that the will is not free, but subject to causes without, which determine its action.—adv. Nec′essarily.—n. Nec′essariness, the state or quality of being necessary.—Necessary truths, such as cannot but be true. [Fr.,—L. necessarius.]
Necessity, ne-ses′i-ti, n. state or quality of being necessary: that which is necessary or unavoidable: compulsion: great need: poverty.—ns. Necessitā′rian; Necessitā′rianism, necessarianism.—v.t. Necess′itāte, to make necessary: to render unavoidable: to compel.—n. Necessitā′tion.—adjs. Necess′itied (Shak.), in a state of want; Necess′itous, in necessity: very poor: destitute.—adv. Necess′itously.—n. Necess′itousness.—Natural necessity, the condition of being necessary according to the laws of nature; Logical or Mathematical, according to those of human intelligence; Moral, according to those of moral law; Works of necessity, work so necessary as to be allowable on the Sabbath. [L. necessitas.]
Neck, nek, n. the part of an animal's body between the head and trunk: anything that resembles the neck: a long narrow part or corner: (fig.) life: the flesh of the neck and adjoining parts.—v.t. to break the neck or cut off the head.—ns. Neck′atee, a neckerchief; Neck′-band, the part of a shirt encircling the neck; Neck′-bear′ing, that part of a shaft which rotates in the bearing proper, a journal; Neck′beef, the coarse flesh of the neck of cattle; Neck′cloth, a piece of folded cloth worn round the neck by men as a band or cravat, the ends hanging down often of lace.—adj. Necked, having a neck of a certain kind.—ns. Neck′erchief, a kerchief for the neck; Neck′lace, a lace or string of beads or precious stones worn on the neck by women; Neck′let, a simple form of necklace; Neck′-mould, a small moulding surrounding a column at the junction of the shaft and capital; Neck′-piece, the part of a suit of armour that protects the neck: an ornamental frill round the neck of a gown; Neck′tie, a tie or cloth for the neck; Neck′verse, the verse (usually Ps. li. 1) in early times placed before a prisoner claiming benefit-of-clergy, in order to test his ability to read, which, if he could do, he was burned in the hand and set free (see Benefit).—n. Stiff′neck (see Stiff).—Neck and crop, completely; Neck and neck, exactly equal: side by side; Neck or nothing, risking everything.—Harden the neck, to grow more obstinate; Tread on the neck of, to oppress or tyrannise over. [A.S. hnecca; Ger. nacken.]
Necrolatry, nek-rol′a-tri, n. worship of the dead.—ns. Necrobiō′sis, degeneration of living tissue; Necrog′rapher, one who writes an obituary notice.—adjs. Necrolog′ic, -al, pertaining to necrology.—ns. Necrol′ogist, one who gives an account of deaths; Necrol′ogy, an account of those who have died, esp. of the members of some society: a register of deaths; Nec′romancer, one who practises necromancy: a sorcerer; Nec′romancy, the art of revealing future events by calling up and questioning the spirits of the dead: enchantment.—adjs. Necroman′tic, -al, pertaining to necromancy: performed by necromancy.—adv. Necroman′tically.—adj. Necroph′agous, feeding on carrion.—ns. Necroph′ilism, a morbid love for the dead; Necrophō′bia, a morbid horror of corpses.—adj. Necroph′orous, carrying away and burying dead bodies, esp. of beetles of the genus Necrophorus.—n. Necrop′olis, a cemetery.—adjs. Necroscop′ic, -al.—n. Nec′roscopy, a post-mortem examination, autopsy—also Nec′ropsy.—adjs. Necrosed′, Necrō′tic.—ns. Necrō′sis, the mortification of bone: (bot.) a disease of plants marked by small black spots; Necrot′omist; Necrot′omy, dissection of dead bodies. [Gr. nekros, dead.]
Nectar, nek′tar, n. the name given by Homer, Hesiod, Pindar, &c. to the beverage of the gods, giving life and beauty: a delicious beverage: the honey of the glands of plants.—adjs. Nectā′real, Nectā′rean, pertaining to, or resembling, nectar: delicious; Nec′tared, imbued with nectar: mingled or abounding with nectar; Nectā′reous, Nec′tarous, pertaining to, containing, or resembling nectar: delicious.—adv. Nectā′reously, in a nectareous manner.—n. Nectā′reousness, the quality of being nectareous.—adjs. Nectā′rial; Nectarif′erous, producing nectar or honey: having a nectary; Nec′tarine, sweet as nectar.—n. a variety of peach with a smooth fruit.—n. Nec′tary, the part of a flower which secretes the nectar or honey. [L.,—Gr. nektar; ety. dub.]
Nectocalyx, nek′to-kā-liks, n. the swimming-bell of a medusa:—pl. Nectocā′lyces.
Neddy, ned′i, n. a donkey. [From Ned=Edward.]
Née, nā, adj. born: placed before a married woman's maiden-name, to show her own family, as Rebecca Crawley, née Sharp. [Fr., fem. of né, pa.p. of naître, to be born—L. nasci, natus, to be born.]
Need, nēd, n. want of something which one cannot do without: necessity: a state that requires relief: want of the means of living.—v.t. to have occasion for: to want.—ns. Need′-be, a necessity; Need′er; Need′fire, fire produced by friction, to which a certain virtue is superstitiously attached: a beacon generally.—adj. Need′ful, full of need: having need: needy: necessary: requisite.—adv. Need′fully.—n. Need′fulness.—adv. Need′ily.—n. Need′iness.—adj. Need′less (Shak.), having no need: not needed: unnecessary.—adv. Need′lessly.—n. Need′lessness.—adv. Need′ly (Shak.), necessarily.—n. Need′ment, something needed.—adv. Needs, of necessity: indispensably—often used with must, as 'needs must.'—adj. Need′y, very poor: requisite.—n. Need′yhood.—The needful (slang), ready money. [A.S. néd, niéd, nýd; Dut. nood, Ger. noth.]
Needle, nēd′l, n. a small, sharp-pointed steel instrument, with an eye for a thread—(Shak.) Neeld, Neele: any slender, pointed instrument like a needle, as the magnet or movable bar of a compass, or for knitting, etching, &c.: anything sharp and pointed, like a pinnacle of rock, &c.: an aciform crystal: a temporary support used by builders to sustain while repairing, being a strong beam resting on props: the long, narrow, needle-like leaf of a pine-tree.—v.t. to form into a shape like a needle, as crystals: to work with a needle.—v.i. to become of the shape of needles, as crystals.—ns. Need′le-book, a number of pieces of cloth, leather, &c. arranged like a book, for holding needles; Need′le-case, a case for holding needles; Need′le-fish, a pipe-fish: a garfish or belonid; Need′leful, as much thread as fills a needle; Need′le-gun, a gun or rifle loaded at the breech, the cartridge of which is exploded by the impact of a needle or spike at its base.—adjs. Need′le-point′ed, pointed like a needle: without a barb, as a fish-hook; Need′le-shaped, shaped like a needle: applied to the long, slender, sharp-pointed leaves of pines, firs, and other trees.—ns. Need′le-tel′egraph, a telegraph the receiver of which gives its messages by the deflections of a magnetic needle; Need′lewoman, a woman who makes her living by her needle, a seamstress; Need′lework, work done with a needle: the business of a seamstress.—adj. Need′ly, thorny. [A.S. nǽdl; Ger. nadel; cog. with Ger. nähen, to sew, L. nēre, to spin.]