nullifidian, a man of no faith, a sceptic in matters of religion. B. Jonson, Cynthia’s Revels, v. 2 (Perfumer).
numbles, certain inward parts of a deer; part of the back and loins of a hart; ‘Noumbles of a dere or beest, entrailles’, Palsgrave; Sir T. Elyot, Governour, bk. iii, c. 7; nomblis, Boke of St. Albans, fol. e 7 b. F. nombles d’un cerf, ‘the numbles of a stag’ (Cotgr.); OF. nomble (Godefroy). See Dict. And see [umbles].
numerical, particular, individual; ‘Not only of the specifical, but numerical forms’, Sir T. Browne, Rel. Med., pt. i, § 33. Also (with same or very) identical, ‘That very numerical lady’, Dryden, Marriage à la Mode, ii. 1 (Palamede); also in form numerick, ‘The same numerick crew’, Butler, Hud. i. 3. 461.
nup, a simpleton; ‘The vilest nup’, Brewer, Lingua, ii. 1 (end).
nupson, a simpleton. B. Jonson, Every Man in Hum., iv. 6 (Brainworm); id., Devil an Ass, ii. 1 (Pug).
nursle, to nurse; ‘To have a Bastard . . . nursled i’ th’ Countrey’, Brome; Eng. Moor, iii. 3 (NED.); noursle up, to train up, Spenser, F. Q. vi. 4. 35. See [nuzzle].
nurt, nort, to push with the horns. Tusser, Husbandry, § 20. 28; nort, to push toward, Holland, tr. of Pliny, bk. viii, ch. 21. Nurt, possibly related to OF. hurter (F. heurter), to push.
nuzzle, to poke or push with the nose; ‘I nosyll as a swyne dothe, je fouille du museau’, Palsgrave spelt nousle, Venus and Ad. 1115; to nestle close to a person, Heywood, Pleas. Dial. (Wks., ed. 1874, vi. 201); Marston, What you will, iii. 2 (Albano). Cp. Du. neuselen, to poke with the nose (Kilian).
nuzzle, to train, educate, nurture (freq. with up). Marston, Antonio’s Revenge, Prol. 16; Drayton, Pol. xi. 180; nosel, Nice Wanton, Prol. 9, in Hazlitt’s Dodsley, ii. 163; nousle up, Spenser, F. Q. i. 6. 23; noursle up, F. Q. vi. 4. 35; nuzled in, pp. trained in, Holinshed, Chron. iii. 1225 (NED.); nusled in, New Customs, iii. 1; Light of Gospel (in Hazlitt’s Dodsley, iii. 44). See NED. See [nursle].
nycibecetour, a dainty dame, a fashionable girl; ‘Nycibecetours, or denty dames’, Udall, tr. of Apoph., Diogenes, § 120; nicibecetur, Roister Doister, i. 4. 12.