N, n

[en] /ɛn/
noun, plural N's or Ns, n's or ns.
1.
the 14th letter of the English alphabet, a consonant.
2.
any spoken sound represented by the letter N or n, as in now, dinner, son, etc.
3.
something having the shape of an N .
4.
a written or printed representation of the letter N or n.
5.
a device, as a printer's type, for reproducing the letter N or n.

'n

[uh n] /ən/
conjunction, Pronunciation Spelling.
1.
and:
Stop 'n save. Look 'n listen.
Also, 'n'.

N

1.
Physics. newton; newtons.
2.
north.
3.
northern.

N

Symbol.
1.
the 14th in order or in a series, or, when I is omitted, the 13th.
2.
(sometimes lowercase) the medieval Roman numeral for 90.
Compare Roman numerals.
3.
Chemistry, nitrogen.
4.
Biochemistry, asparagine.
5.
Mathematics. an indefinite, constant whole number, especially the degree of a quantic or an equation, or the order of a curve.
6.
Chess. knight.
7.
Printing. en.
8.
Chemistry, Avogadro's number.
9.
neutron number.

n

Symbol.
1.
Physics. neutron.
2.
Optics. index of refraction.

n-

Chemistry
1.
an abbreviated form of normal, used in the names of hydrocarbon compounds that have a normal or straight chain of carbon atoms:
n-3 fatty acid.

-n

1.
variant of -an after a vowel:
Virginian.

N.

1.
Nationalist.
2.
Navy.
3.
New.
4.
Noon.
5.
Chemistry. normal (strength solution).
6.
Norse.
7.
north.
8.
northern.
9.
Finance. note.
10.
November.

n.1

1.
born.
Origin
< Latin nātus

n.2

1.
name.
2.
nephew.
3.
Commerce, net.
4.
neuter.
5.
new.
6.
nominative.
7.
noon.
8.
Chemistry. normal (strength solution).
9.
north.
10.
northern.
11.
Finance. note.
12.
noun.
13.
number.
British Dictionary definitions for n

n

/ɛn/
noun (pl) n's, N's, Ns
1.
the 14th letter and 11th consonant of the modern English alphabet
2.
a speech sound represented by this letter, usually an alveolar nasal, as in nail

n1

symbol
1.
neutron
2.
(optics) index of refraction
3.
nano-

n2

/ɛn/
determiner
1.
an indefinite number (of): there are n objects in a box

N

symbol
1.
(chess) Also kt. knight
2.
neper
3.
neutral
4.
newton(s)
5.
(chem) nitrogen
6.
North
7.
Avogadro's number
8.
noun
abbreviation
9.
Norway (international car registration)

n-

prefix
1.
(chem) short for normal (sense 6)

n.

abbreviation
1.
natus
2.
neuter
3.
new
4.
nominative
5.
noun
Word Origin
(for sense 1) Latin: born
Word Origin and History for n

N

in nickname, newt, and British dialectal naunt, the -n- belongs to a preceding indefinite article an or possessive pronoun mine.

Other examples of this from Middle English manuscripts include a neilond ("an island," early 13c.), a narawe ("an arrow," c.1400), a nox ("an ox," c.1400), a noke ("an oak," early 15c.), a nappyle ("an apple," early 15c.), a negge ("an egg," 15c.). In 16c., an idiot sometimes became a nidiot, which, with still-common casual pronunciation, became nidget, which, alas, has not survived.

The process also worked in surnames, from oblique cases of Old English at "by, near," e.g. Nock/Nokes/Noaks from atten Oke "by the oak;" Nye from atten ye "near the lowland;" and cf. Nashville.

But it is more common for an English word to lose an -n- to a preceding a: apron, auger, adder, umpire, humble pie, etc. The mathematical use of n for "an indefinite number" is first recorded 1852, in to the nth power.

n in Medicine

n 2
abbr.
refractive index

N 1

The symbol for the element nitrogen.

N 2
abbr.
newton

n in Science
N  

  1. Abbreviation of newton

  2. The symbol for nitrogen.


nitrogen
  (nī'trə-jən)   
Symbol N
A nonmetallic element that makes up about 78 percent of the atmosphere by volume, occurring as a colorless, odorless gas. It is a component of all proteins, making it essential for life, and it is also found in various minerals. Nitrogen is used to make ammonia, nitric acid, TNT, and fertilizers. Atomic number 7; atomic weight 14.0067; melting point -209.86°C; boiling point -195.8°C; valence 3, 5. See Periodic Table. See Note at oxygen.
n in Technology

mathematics, programming, jargon
A variable typically used to stand for a number of objects.
Used unqualified in speech it suggests a large, undetermined number, e.g. "There were N bugs in that crock!", or a number implied by context, e.g. "Let's get pizza for N + 1".
[Jargon File]
(2006-04-18)

Related Abbreviations for n

n

  1. indefinite number
  2. neuter
  3. neutron
  4. new
  5. normal
  6. note

N

  1. en
  2. knight
  3. name
  4. needs improvement
  5. Newton
  6. New York Stock Exchange
  7. nitrogen
  8. no (shortwave transmission)
  9. nominative
  10. noon
  11. north
  12. northern
  13. Norway (international vehicle ID)
  14. not (shortwave transmission)
  15. noun

n.

  1. footnote
  2. Latin natus (born)
  3. net
  4. note
  5. noun

N.

Norse