*nigh*

n. Light, fuel, or food for the whole night. [ Obs. ] Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. & adv. [ Pref. a- + nigh. ] Nigh. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } adv. [ OE. on niht. ] In the night time; at night. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Does he hawk anights still? Marston. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Benighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Benighting. ] 1. To involve in darkness; to shroud with the shades of night; to obscure. [ Archaic ] [ 1913 Webster ]

The clouds benight the sky. Garth. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To overtake with night or darkness, especially before the end of a day's journey or task. [ 1913 Webster ]

Some virgin, sure, . . . benighted in these woods. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To involve in moral darkness, or ignorance; to debar from intellectual light. [ 1913 Webster ]

Shall we to men benighted
The lamp of life deny ? Heber. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The condition of being benighted. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The night in which a person is born; the anniversary of that night in succeeding years. [ 1913 Webster ]

The angelic song in Bethlehem field,
On thy birthnight, that sung thee Savior born. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. same as around-the-clock.
Syn. -- around-the-clock, nonstop, round-the-clock. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. The evening between twilight and bedtime. [ Scot. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Contr. fr. fourteen nights, our ancestors reckoning time by nights and winters; so, also, seven nights, sennight, a week. ] The space of fourteen days; two weeks. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Occurring or appearing once in a fortnight; as, a fortnightly meeting of a club; a fortnightly magazine, or other publication. -- adv. Once in a fortnight; at intervals of a fortnight. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. knight, cniht, knight, soldier, AS. cniht, cneoht, a boy, youth, attendant, military follower; akin to D. & G. knecht servant; perh. akin to E. kin. ] 1. A young servant or follower; a military attendant. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (a) In feudal times, a man-at-arms serving on horseback and admitted to a certain military rank with special ceremonies, including an oath to protect the distressed, maintain the right, and live a stainless life. (b) One on whom knighthood, a dignity next below that of baronet, is conferred by the sovereign, entitling him to be addressed as Sir; as, Sir John. [ Eng. ] Hence: (c) A champion; a partisan; a lover. “Give this ring to my true knight.” Shak “In all your quarrels will I be your knight.” Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knights, by their oaths, should right poor ladies' harms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Formerly, when a knight's name was not known, it was customary to address him as Sir Knight. The rank of a knight is not hereditary. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A piece used in the game of chess, usually bearing a horse's head. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A playing card bearing the figure of a knight; the knave or jack. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Carpet knight. See under Carpet. --
Knight of industry. See Chevalier d'industrie, under Chevalier. --
Knight of Malta,
Knight of Rhodes,
Knight of St. John of Jerusalem. See Hospitaler. --
Knight of the post, one who gained his living by giving false evidence on trials, or false bail; hence, a sharper in general. Nares. “A knight of the post, . . . quoth he, for so I am termed; a fellow that will swear you anything for twelve pence.” Nash. --
Knight of the shire, in England, one of the representatives of a county in Parliament, in distinction from the representatives of cities and boroughs. --
Knights commanders,
Knights grand cross, different classes of the Order of the Bath. See under Bath, and Companion.
Knights of labor, a secret organization whose professed purpose is to secure and maintain the rights of workingmen as respects their relations to their employers. [ U. S. ] --
Knights of Pythias, a secret order, founded in Washington, D. C., in 1864, for social and charitable purposes. --
Knights of the Round Table, knights belonging to an order which, according to the legendary accounts, was instituted by the mythical King Arthur. They derived their common title from the table around which they sat on certain solemn days. Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Knighted; p. pr. & vb. n. Knighting. ] To dub or create (one) a knight; -- done in England by the sovereign only, who taps the kneeling candidate with a sword, saying: Rise, Sir ---. [ 1913 Webster ]

A soldier, by the honor-giving hand
Of Cœur-de-Lion knighted in the field. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The body of knights, taken collectively. [ 1913 Webster ]

pl. Knights bachelors A knight of the most ancient, but lowest, order of English knights, and not a member of any order of chivalry. See Bachelor, 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

pl. Knights bannerets. A knight who carried a banner, who possessed fiefs to a greater amount than the knight bachelor, and who was obliged to serve in war with a greater number of attendants. The dignity was sometimes conferred by the sovereign in person on the field of battle. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. See Baronet. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Knight-errants, or Knights-errant. A wandering knight; a knight who traveled in search of adventures, for the purpose of exhibiting military skill, prowess, and generosity. [ 1913 Webster ]

n.; pl. Knight-errantries The character or actions of wandering knights; the practice of wandering in quest of adventures; chivalry; a quixotic or romantic adventure or scheme. [ 1913 Webster ]

The rigid guardian [ i. e., conscience ] of a blameless heart
Is weak with rank knight-erratries o'errun. Young. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Pertaining to a knight-errant or to knight-errantry. [ R. ] Quart. Rev. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Naut.) A bollard timber. See under Bollard. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ Knight + hood: cf. AS. chihthād youth. ] 1. The character, dignity, or condition of a knight, or of knights as a class; hence, chivalry. “O shame to knighthood.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

If you needs must write, write Caesar's praise;
You 'll gain at least a knighthood, or the bays. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. The whole body of knights. [ 1913 Webster ]

The knighthood nowadays are nothing like the knighthood of old time. Chapman. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ “When the order of knighthood was conferred with full solemnity in the leisure of a court or court or city, imposing preliminary ceremonies were required of the candidate. He prepared himself by prayer and fasting, watched his arms at night in a chapel, and was then admitted with the performance of religious rites. Knighthood was conferred by the accolade, which, from the derivation of the name, would appear to have been originally an embrace; but afterward consisted, as it still does, in a blow of the flat of a sword on the back of the kneeling candidate.” Brande & C. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Unbecoming a knight. [ Obs. ] “Knightless guile.” Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The character or bearing suitable for a knight; chivalry. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a manner becoming a knight. [ 1913 Webster ]

And why thou comest thus knightly clad in arms. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ AS. cnihtlic boyish. ] Of or pertaining to a knight; becoming a knight; chivalrous; as, a knightly combat; a knightly spirit. [ 1913 Webster ]

For knightly jousts and fierce encounters fit. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

[ Excuses ] full knightly without scorn. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

pos>n. (Eng. Law) An officer in the household of the British sovereign, who has cognizance of transgressions within the royal household and verge, and of contracts made there, a member of the household being one of the parties. Wharton. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Feudal Law) The fee of a knight; specif., the amount of land the holding of which imposed the obligation of knight service, being sometimes a hide{ 1 }(b) or less, sometimes six or more hides. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

lso pos>n. 1. (Feud. Law) The military service by rendering which a knight held his lands.

2. (Eng. Feud. Law) A tenure of lands held by knights on condition of performing military service. See Chivalry, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

By far the greater part of England [ in the 13th century ] is held of the king by knight's service. . . . In order to understand this tenure we must form the conception of a unit of military service. That unit seems to be the service of one knight or fully armed horseman (servitium unius militis) to be done to the king in his army for forty days in the year, if it be called for. . . . The limit of forty days seems to have existed rather in theory than practice. Pollock & Mait. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

3. Service such as a knight can or should render; hence, good or valuable service. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

pl. Knights Templars See Commandery, n., 3, and also Templar, n., 1 and 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Bot.) A West Indian shrub (Brunfelsia americana) with fragrant showy yellowish-white flowers.
Syn. -- lady of the night, Brunfelsia americana. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ AS. midniht. ] The middle of the night; twelve o'clock at night. [ 1913 Webster ]

The iron tongue of midnight hath told twelve. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Being in, or characteristic of, the middle of the night; as, midnight studies; midnight gloom. “Midnight shout and revelry.” Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

. The sun shining at midnight in the arctic or antarctic summer. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

a. [ Compar. Nigher superl. Nighest, or Next ] [ OE. nigh, neigh, neih, AS. neáh, nēh; akin to D. na, adv., OS. nāh, a., OHG. nāh, G. nah, a., nach to, after, Icel. nā (in comp.) nigh, Goth. nēhw, nēhwa, adv., nigh. Cf. Near, Neighbor, Next. ] 1. Not distant or remote in place or time; near. [ 1913 Webster ]

The loud tumult shows the battle nigh. Prior. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.; closely allied; intimate. “Nigh kinsmen.” Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

Ye . . . are made nigh by the blood of Christ. Eph. ii. 13. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Near; close; adjacent; contiguous; present; neighboring. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. [ AS. neáh, nēh. See Nigh, a. ] 1. In a situation near in place or time, or in the course of events; near. [ 1913 Webster ]

He was sick, nigh unto death. Phil. ii. 27. [ 1913 Webster ]

He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright,
Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turned. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Almost; nearly; as, he was nigh dead. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. & i. To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near. [ Obs. ] Wyclif (Matt. iii. 2). [ 1913 Webster ]

prep. Near to; not remote or distant from. “was not this nigh shore?” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a near relation in place, time, degree, etc.; within a little; almost. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

A cube and a sphere . . . nighly of the same bigness. Locke. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The quality or state of being nigh. [ R. ] “Nighness of blood.” Holished. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ OE. night, niht, AS. neaht, niht; akin to D. nacht, OS. & OHG. naht, G. nacht, Icel. nōtt, Sw. natt, Dan. nat, Goth. nahts, Lith. naktis, Russ. noche, W. nos, Ir. nochd, L. nox, noctis, Gr. ny`x, nykto`s, Skr. nakta, nakti. √265. Cf. Equinox, Nocturnal. ] 1. That part of the natural day when the sun is beneath the horizon, or the time from sunset to sunrise; esp., the time between dusk and dawn, when there is no light of the sun, but only moonlight, starlight, or artificial light. [ 1913 Webster ]

And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. Gen. i. 5. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Hence: (a) Darkness; obscurity; concealment. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nature and nature's laws lay hid in night. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

(b) Intellectual and moral darkness; ignorance. (c) A state of affliction; adversity; as, a dreary night of sorrow. (d) The period after the close of life; death. [ 1913 Webster ]

She closed her eyes in everlasting night. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

Do not go gentle into that good night
Rage, rage against the dying of the light. Dylan Thomas. [ PJC ]

(e) A lifeless or unenlivened period, as when nature seems to sleep. “Sad winter's night”. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Night is sometimes used, esp. with participles, in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, night-blooming, night-born, night-warbling, etc. [ 1913 Webster ]

Night by night,
Night after night, nightly; many nights. [ 1913 Webster ] So help me God, as I have watched the night,
Ay, night by night, in studying good for England. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ] --
Night bird. (Zool.) (a) The moor hen (Gallinula chloropus). (b) The Manx shearwater (Puffinus Anglorum). --
Night blindness. (Med.) See Hemeralopia. --
Night cart, a cart used to remove the contents of privies by night. --
Night churr, (Zool.), the nightjar. --
Night crow, a bird that cries in the night. --
Night dog, a dog that hunts in the night, -- used by poachers. --
Night fire. (a) Fire burning in the night. (b) Ignis fatuus; Will-o'-the-wisp; Jask-with-a-lantern. --
Night flyer (Zool.), any creature that flies in the night, as some birds and insects. --
night glass, a spyglass constructed to concentrate a large amount of light, so as see objects distinctly at night. Totten. --
Night green, iodine green. --
Night hag, a witch supposed to wander in the night. --
Night hawk (Zool.), an American bird (Chordeiles Virginianus), allied to the goatsucker. It hunts the insects on which it feeds toward evening, on the wing, and often, diving down perpendicularly, produces a loud whirring sound, like that of a spinning wheel. Also sometimes applied to the European goatsuckers. It is called also bull bat. --
Night heron (Zool.), any one of several species of herons of the genus Nycticorax, found in various parts of the world. The best known species is Nycticorax griseus, or Nycticorax nycticorax, of Europe, and the American variety (var. naevius). The yellow-crowned night heron (Nyctanassa violacea syn. Nycticorax violaceus) inhabits the Southern States. Called also qua-bird, and squawk. --
Night house, a public house, or inn, which is open at night. --
Night key, a key for unfastening a night latch. --
Night latch, a kind of latch for a door, which is operated from the outside by a key. --
Night monkey (Zool.), an owl monkey. --
night moth (Zool.), any one of the noctuids. --
Night parrot (Zool.), the kakapo. --
Night piece, a painting representing some night scene, as a moonlight effect, or the like. --
Night rail, a loose robe, or garment, worn either as a nightgown, or over the dress at night, or in sickness. [ Obs. ] --
Night raven (Zool.), a bird of ill omen that cries in the night; esp., the bittern. --
Night rule. (a) A tumult, or frolic, in the night; -- as if a corruption, of night revel. [ Obs. ] (b) Such conduct as generally rules, or prevails, at night.

What night rule now about this haunted grove? Shak.

--
Night sight. (Med.) See Nyctolopia. --
Night snap, a night thief. [ Cant ] Beau. & Fl. --
Night soil, human excrement; -- so called because in cities it is collected by night and carried away for manure. --
Night spell, a charm against accidents at night. --
Night swallow (Zool.), the nightjar. --
Night walk, a walk in the evening or night. --
Night walker. (a) One who walks in his sleep; a somnambulist; a noctambulist. (b) One who roves about in the night for evil purposes; specifically, a prostitute who walks the streets. --
Night walking. (a) Walking in one's sleep; sleep walking; somnambulism; noctambulism. (b) Walking the streets at night with evil designs. --
Night warbler (Zool.), the sedge warbler (Acrocephalus phragmitis); -- called also night singer. [ Prov. Eng. ] --
Night watch. (a) A period in the night, as distinguished by the change of watch. (b) A watch, or guard, to aford protection in the night. --
Night watcher, one who watches in the night; especially, one who watches with evil designs. --
Night witch. Same as Night hag, above. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The popular name for a poem by Clement Clarke Moore titled A Visit from St. Nicholas, a popular poem with the theme of St. Nicholas (Santa Claus) coming to bring gifts to children on Christmans eve. [ PJC ]

☞ The full text of the poem follows: T'was the night before Christmas, when all through the house,
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there. The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
While visions of sugarplums danced in their heads;
And Mama in her kerchief and I in my cap,
Had just settled down for a long winter's nap. When out on the lawn there arose such a clatter,
I sprang from my bed to see what was the matter.
Away to the window I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters, and threw up the sash. The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow,
Gave the luster of midday to objects below,
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer.
With a little old driver, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came,
And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name:
“Now, Dasher! Now, Dancer!, Now Prancer and Vixen!
On, Comet! On, Cupid!, On, Donner and Blitzen!
To the top of the porch! To the top of the wall!
Now dash away! Dash away! Dash away all!!” As the dry leaves that before the wild hurricane fly,
When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky,
So up to the housetop the coursers they flew,
With a sleigh full of toys, and St. Nicholas, too. And then in a twinkling, I heard on the roof,
The prancing and pawing of each little hoof.
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
Down the chimney St. Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot,
And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot.
A bundle of toys he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler just opening his pack. His eyes -- how they twinkled! His dimples, how merry!
His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry!
His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow,
And the beard on his chin was as white as the snow;
He had a broad face and a little round belly,
That shook when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly.
He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf,
And I laughed when I saw him, in spite of myself.
A wink of his eye, and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread. He spoke not a word, but went staight to his work,
And filled all the stockings, then turned with a jerk,
And laying a finger aside of his nose,
And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle,
And away they all flew like the down of a thistle.
But I heard him exclaim as he drove out of sight,
“Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!” [ PJC ]

n. A person who likes to be active late at night; a night owl.
Syn. -- night owl, nighthawk. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Blooming in the night. [ 1913 Webster ]

Night-blooming cereus. (Bot.) See Note under Cereus. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. A cap worn in bed to protect the head, or in undress. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. An alcoholic beverage drunk at bedtime. [ Cant ] Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. garments designed to be worn in bed, such as pyjamas, a nightgown, etc.
Syn. -- nightwear. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. An establishment providing entertainment (as singers, dancers, or comedy acts), usually open late into the night or early morning, typically serving alcoholic beverages and food.
Syn. -- cabaret. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

n. A terrestrial worm that burrows into and helps aerate soil; an earthworm. It often surfaces when the ground is cool or wet, and is used as bait by anglers. The term is used mostly in the northern and western U. S.
Syn. -- earthworm, angleworm, fishworm, fishing worm, wiggler, nightwalker, dew worm, red worm. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. A nightgown. [ 1913 Webster ]