Nightingale, nīt′in-gāl, n. a small sylviine bird, of the Passerine family, widely distributed in the Old World, celebrated for the rich love-song of the male heard chiefly at night. [A.S. nihtegale—niht, night, galan, to sing; Ger. nachtigall.]
Nightingale, nīt′in-gāl, n. a kind of flannel scarf with sleeves, worn by invalids when sitting up in bed. [From the famous Crimean hospital nurse, Florence Nightingale, born 1820.]
Nightmare, nīt′mār, n. a dreadful dream accompanied with pressure on the breast, and a feeling of powerlessness to move or speak—personified as an incubus or evil-spirit.—adj. Night′marish. [A.S. niht, night, mara, a nightmare; cf. Old High Ger. mara, incubus, Ice. mara, nightmare.]
Nigrescent, nī-gres′ent, adj. growing black or dark: approaching to blackness.—n. Nigresc′ence. [L., nigrescĕre, to grow black—niger, black.]
Nigrite, nig′rīt, n. an insulating composition consisting of the impure residuum obtained in the distillation of paraffin. [L. niger, black.]
Nigritian, ni-grish′an, adj. pertaining to Nigritia, Upper Guinea, Senegambia, and the Soudan region generally, the home of the true negroes.—n. a native of this region, a negro.
Nigritude, nig′ri-tūd, n. blackness. [L. nigritudo—niger, black.]
Nigrosine, nig′rō-sin, n. a coal-tar colour prepared from the hydrochloride of violaniline. [L. niger, black.]
Nihil, nī′hil, n. nothing.—ns. Nī′hilism, belief in nothing, extreme scepticism: in Russia, a revolutionary socialistic movement aiming at the overturn of all the existing institutions of society in order to build it up anew on different principles; Nī′hilist, one who professes Nihilism.—adj. Nihilist′ic.—ns. Nihil′ity, nothingness; Nil, nothing. [L.]
Nike, nī′kē, n. the goddess of victory. [Gr.]