"near," O.E. neah (W.Saxon), neh (Anglian), common Gmc. (cf. O.Fris. nei, M.Du. na, O.H.G. nah, Ger. nah, Goth. nehwa), with no cognates outside Gmc. The O.E. progression was neah - near - niehsta, for "nigh - near - next." But the comp. near and the superl. nehst gradually evolved into separate words not felt as related to nigh. New comp. and superl. forms, nigher, nighest, developed 1300s as phonetic changes obscured the original relationships.
not far distant in time or space or degree or circumstances; "near neighbors"; "in the near future"; "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb"; "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a close call" [syn: near] [ant: far]
2.
being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one on the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side" [syn: near]
adverb
1.
near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation"; "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the fire" [syn: near]
2.
(of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone agrees" [syn: about]
Near\ (n[=e]r), adv. [AS. ne['a]r, compar. of ne['a]h nigh. See Nigh.]1. At a little distance, in place, time, manner, or degree; not remote; nigh. My wife! my traitress! let her not come near me. --Milton. 2. Nearly; almost; well-nigh. "Near twenty years ago." --Shak. "Near a fortnight ago." --Addison. Near about the yearly value of the land. --Locke. 3. Closely; intimately. --Shak. Far and near, at a distance and close by; throughout a whole region. To come near to, to want but little of; to approximate to. "Such a sum he found would go near to ruin him." --Addison. Near the wind (Naut.), close to the wind; closehauled.
Neigh"bor\ (n[=a]"b[~e]r), n. [OE. neighebour, AS. ne['a]hgeb[=u]r; ne['a]h nigh + geb[=u]r a dweller, farmer; akin to D. nabuur, G. nachbar, OHG. n[=a]hgib[=u]r. See Nigh, and Boor.] [Spelt also neighbour.]1. A person who lives near another; one whose abode is not far off. --Chaucer. Masters, my good friends, mine honest neighbors. --Shak. 2. One who is near in sympathy or confidence. Buckingham No more shall be the neighbor to my counsel. --Shak. 3. One entitled to, or exhibiting, neighborly kindness; hence, one of the human race; a fellow being. Which now of these three, thinkest thou, was neighbor unto him that fell among the thieves? --Luke x. 36. The gospel allows no such term as "stranger;" makes every man my neighbor. --South.
Next\ (n[e^]kst), a., superl. of Nigh. [AS. n[=e]hst, ni['e]hst, n[=y]hst, superl. of ne['a]h nigh. See Nigh.]1. Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening. --Chaucer. Her princely guest Was next her side; in order sat the rest. --Dryden. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way. --Bunyan. 2. Nearest in time; as, the next day or hour. 3. Adjoining in a series; immediately preceding or following in order. None could tell whose turn should be the next. --Gay. 4. Nearest in degree, quality, rank, right, or relation; as, the next heir was an infant. The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. --Ruth ii. 20. Note: Next is usually followed by to before an object, but to is sometimes omitted. In such cases next in considered by many grammarians as a preposition. Next friend (Law), one who represents an infant, a married woman, or any person who can not appear sui juris, in a suit at law.
Next\ (n[e^]kst), a., superl. of Nigh. [AS. n[=e]hst, ni['e]hst, n[=y]hst, superl. of ne['a]h nigh. See Nigh.]1. Nearest in place; having no similar object intervening. --Chaucer. Her princely guest Was next her side; in order sat the rest. --Dryden. Fear followed me so hard, that I fled the next way. --Bunyan. 2. Nearest in time; as, the next day or hour. 3. Adjoining in a series; immediately preceding or following in order. None could tell whose turn should be the next. --Gay. 4. Nearest in degree, quality, rank, right, or relation; as, the next heir was an infant. The man is near of kin unto us, one of our next kinsmen. --Ruth ii. 20. Note: Next is usually followed by to before an object, but to is sometimes omitted. In such cases next in considered by many grammarians as a preposition. Next friend (Law), one who represents an infant, a married woman, or any person who can not appear sui juris, in a suit at law.
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