night-rail, a night-dress. Middleton, Mayor of Queenboro’, iii. 2 (1 Lady); Massinger, City Madam, iii. 2 (end); iv. 4 (Luke). In prov. use, see EDD. (s.v. Night, 1 (29)). OE. hrægl, dress. See Nares (s.v. Night-rail), and Dict. (s.v. Rail, 4).
night-snap, a thief (Cant). Beaumont and Fl., Chances, ii. 1 (John).
nil(l, to be unwilling, often denoting simple futurity; ‘I nill live in sorrowe’, Spenser, Shep. Kal., May, 151; ‘I nill relate’, Pericles, iii, prel. 55; will he nill he, Hamlet, v. 1. 18; to will and nill, B. Jonson, Epigrams, xlii. 16; nild, pt. t. would not, ‘Unto the founts Diana nild repair’, Greene, Radagon’s Sonnet, 17 (ed. Dyce, p. 301). ‘Nill ye, will ye’, whether you wish or not, is in use in Scotland; ‘Nildy wildy’, whether one would or not, is heard is E. Anglia (EDD.). ME. nil, pr. s.; nolde, pt. t. (Chaucer).
nim, to steal. Puritan Widow, i. 4. 167; Butler, Hud. i. 1. 598; hence, nimmer, a thief, id., ii. 3. 1094; Tomkis, Albumazar, iii. 7 (end); nimming, stealing, Massinger, Guardian, v. 2 (Durazzo). ‘Nim’ and ‘Nimmer’ are in prov. use (EDD.). ME. nimen, to take, to seize (P. Plowman), see Dict. M. and S.; OE. niman, to take; cp. G. nehmen.
nine-holes, a game in which the players endeavoured to roll small balls into nine holes in the ground, all separately numbered. Drayton, Pol. xiv. 22; Muses’ Elysium, Nymphal vi (Melanthus). See EDD. (s.v. Nine, 1 (9)), and NED. (s.v. Nine-holes).
nine men’s morris, a rural game, called also Merrils, described in Brand’s Pop. Antiq. (ed. 1877, p. 542), Mids. Night’s D. ii. 1. 98. Called ‘Morris’ by popular etymology, as if with reference to the movement (or dance) of the men (or pieces). But the right name was ‘Merelles’ (i.e. counters or pieces used in the game). Cp. Cotgrave: ‘Merelles, Le jeu des merelles, The boyish game called Merils or five-penny Morris, played here most commonly with stones, but in France with pawns or men made of purpose, and termed Merelles.’ See Ducange (s.v. Merallus), EDD. (s.v. Nine, 1 (12)), and Nares (s.v.).
ningle, ‘ingle’; mine ingle became my ningle, my favourite. Middleton, Span. Gipsy, iv. 3 (Roderigo); Dekker, Honest Wh., Pt. I, iii. 1 (Fustigo). See [ingle].
nip, a taunt, sarcasm, reproof. Puttenham, E. Poesie, bk. i, c. 27 (ed. Arber, p. 68). ‘Nip’ in prov. use means a pinch or squeeze; a bite or sting, see EDD. (s.v. Nip, sb.1 15, 16).
nip a bung, to steal a purse (Cant). Middleton, Roaring Girl, v. 1 (Trapdoor); ‘A pickpocket, as good as ever nipped the judge’s bung while he was condemning him’, The London Chanticleers, scene 1 (Heath); Cleveland (Nares); nip, a cutpurse, Middleton, Roaring Girl, v. 1 (Moll). Hence nipper, ‘A nypper is termed a pickpurse or a cutpurse’, Fletewood (in Aydelotte, p. 95).
nip a jan, to steal a purse (Cant). B. Jonson, Gipsies Metamorphosed (Jackman). See Jan in NED.