Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. The daughter of one's brother or sister or of the brother or sister of one's spouse.
- n. The illegitimate daughter of an ecclesiastic who has taken a vow of celibacy.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A grandchild, or more remote lineal descendant, whether male or female; specifically, a granddaughter.
- n. The daughter of one's brother or sister.
Wiktionary
- n. A daughter of someone’s sibling, brother-in-law, or sister-in-law; either the daughter of one's brother ("fraternal niece"), or of one's sister ("sororal niece").
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. obsolete A relative, in general; especially, a descendant, whether male or female; a granddaughter or a grandson.
- n. A daughter of one's brother or sister, or of one's brother-in-law or sister-in-law. In modern English, this is the primary meaning.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a daughter of your brother or sister
Etymologies
- Middle English nece ("niece, granddaughter"), from Old French nece ("niece, granddaughter") (Modern French nièce "niece") from Vulgar Latin *neptia, representing Latin neptis ("granddaughter"), from Proto-Indo-European *nepot- (“grandchild, sister's son”). Akin to Old High German nift ("niece, granddaughter") (German Nichte ("niece")). Displaced native Middle English nifte ("niece, granddaughter") (from Old English nift ("niece, granddaughter")). (Wiktionary)
- Middle English nece, from Old French, from Vulgar Latin *neptia, from Latin neptis; see nepōt- in Indo-European roots. (American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition)
Examples
“Where complete and fubftential jufttce has. been done* a new trial will not bo granted, though the judge who tried the caufe may have been miilaken in point of law; as where an action was brought by a perfon for a violent affault on her niece, who lived with her, per quod ferv. ami/it, and the judge held that the aunt Hood in loco parentis, whereon large damages were given; — the plaintiff undertaking to pay the damages to the niece* and the niece not to proceed in an action which”
“As far as I know, I am the only Lois Reibach in the world, but my niece is also lreibach and she has taken that identity in a number of online services.”
“Or maybe it's because my niece is a frickin 'grandmother at 44!”
“Bill, my niece is at Miami of O-- please do not wrassle with her.”
“Edith grew paler and thinner, and so quiet, that Aunt Rachel was quite pleased with what she called her niece's "becoming demeanour.”
“Cousin Molle goes to Cambridge and the niece is the only visitor.”
Letters from Dorothy Osborne to Sir William Temple (1652-54)
“His fatherly care and protection to her niece is the result of this.”
Autobiography and Other Memorials of Mrs. Gilbert, Formerly Ann Taylor
“My 4 year old niece is more articulate than Sarah Palin.”
“But when his 18-year-old niece is abducted by a murderous pack of vampires in the desolate wastelands outside, Priest breaks his sacred vows and ventures out to find her and seek vengeance upon those responsible, especially their brutal leader (Karl Urban).”
“My niece is going to college next year, and her parents are figuring it will cost them about $150,000 for the next four years.”
House Prices, Arnold Kling | EconLog | Library of Economics and Liberty
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘niece’.
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2007bee-r02
2007 Scripps National Spelling Bee Round 2
query, tendency, danceable, parachute, malignant, brutal, humanely, lyrically, deductible, shindig, gravel, embroidered and 274 more...
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I Am the...
Adjectives that describe what I may or may not be or whom to some I might appear to be...
charlatan, pimp, degenerate, miscreant, painter, creator, trouper, do-gooder, chum, chump, genius, gentlewoman and 41 more...
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Words I assumed I had not been misspe...
Catching a misspelling is both pleasurable (hooray learning!) and painful (every sentence you now realize you've ever marred with the offending word flashes to mind in one terrible instant).
...separate, exercise, a lot, all right, cemetery, consensus, supersede, playwright, noticeable, perseverance, medieval, gauge and 88 more...
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Autobiography
Words that describe or relate in some way to me
anosmia, Asperger's Syndrome, daughter, granddaughter, sister, niece, shy, bibliophile, imagination, library, librarian, writer and 17 more...
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THE WORLD WITHOUT US
firmament, prelude, koan, firm, steadfast, bloom, palm, thatch, canopy, legume, pale, eddy and 2 more...
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Webs
Words about relations.
novercal, phratry, stirps, spindle kin, kinnery, ashram, filiation, phratria, deme, apparentation, homology, spear kin and 41 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for niece.
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