nigh

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The stealthy dusk draws nigh -- draws nigh,

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Definitions (27)

Toggle American Heritage definitions American Heritage Dictionary (7)

  1. adverb Near in time, place, or relationship: Evening draws nigh.
  2. adverb Nearly; almost: talked for nigh onto two hours.
  3. adjective Being near in time, place, or relationship; close. See Synonyms at close.

Toggle Century definitions Century Dictionary (12)

Toggle GNU Webster definitions GNU Webster's 1913 (4)

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Examples (50)

  • Two of the six wings of the Seraph were lifted up over the head of the crucified; and two were spread for flying; and two veiled the whole of the body on the cross Then as the Seraph drew nigh, the eyes of Christ the crucified looked into the eyes of St. Francis, piercing and sweet and terrible; and St. Francis could scarce endure the rapture and the agony with which that look consumed him, and transfigured him, and burned into his body the similitude of Christ's Passion. —  A Child's Book of Saints
  • Besides, the firm employs over two hundred hands, and if every one of these was to be late a minute there would be two hundred minutes gone--nigh four hours, isn't it? —  The Garret and the Garden
  • The time fixed for our wedding drew nigh--I had but one resource, which was flight. —  The Pacha of Many Tales
  • It was about five feet nigh, and it was of so dense a character that no human being could have penetrated it unless in the track of elephants. —  My First Voyage to Southern Seas
  • What I want to say to you is this, and they may be well-nigh the last words you will ever hear me speak. —  Peter Trawl The Adventures of a Whaler
 

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Roget's II Roget's II: The New Thesaurus

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Roget's II: The New Thesaurus, Third Edition by the Editors of the American Heritage® Dictionary. Copyright © 2003, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

Etymologies (4)

Toggle American Heritage etymologies American Heritage Dictionary (1)

  1. Middle English neigh, from Old English nēah, nēh.

Toggle Century etymologies Century Dictionary (3)

  1. from Middle English nigh, nygh, neigh, niʒ, nyʒ, nyʒe, ney, neʒ, negh, neh, ny, etc., from Anglo-Saxon neáh, nēh = Old Saxon nāh = OFries. ni, nei = D. na = Middle Low German na, nage, Low German neeg = Old High German nāh, nāho, Middle High German nāhe, nāch, nā, German nahe, adverb, nach, preposition, = Icel, - = Gothic (Moesogothic) nēhw, nēhwa, nigh, near; prob. akin to enough, Anglo-Saxon genōh, Latin nancisci, reach, Greek ἐνεγκεῖν (ε)νεκ-), bear, bring(later ἠνεκής, reaching), Sanskritnaç, attain. Hence nigh, v., neighbor, near, next, etc.
  2. from Middle English nighe, neighe, etc.; from nigh, adv.
  3. from Middle English nyghen, neighen, neghen, neiʒen, neʒen, nyen (= Old Saxon nāhian = Old High German nāhan, nāhen, Middle High German næhen, German nahen = Gothic (Moesogothic) nēhwjan), come nigh; from nigh, adv.
 

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/nai/
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