noun
a headland; promontory; cape.
Origin:
before 900; Middle English -nes(se) (in place names), in part continuing Old English næs, in part < Old Norse nes; akin to nose
before 900; Middle English -nes(se) (in place names), in part continuing Old English næs, in part < Old Norse nes; akin to nose
Dictionary.com Unabridged
-ness
a native English suffix attached to adjectives and participles, forming abstract nouns denoting quality and state (and often, by extension, something exemplifying a quality or state): darkness; goodness; kindness; obligingness; preparedness.
Origin:
Middle English, Old English -nes, -nis, cognate with German -nis, Gothic -(n)assus; suffix orig. *-assus; -n- by false division of words with adj. and past participle stems ending in -n-; compare Old English efnes (later efen-nys) evenness
Middle English, Old English -nes, -nis, cognate with German -nis, Gothic -(n)assus; suffix orig. *-assus; -n- by false division of words with adj. and past participle stems ending in -n-; compare Old English efnes (later efen-nys) evenness
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
Cite This Source
|
Link To ness
00:10
Ness
is always a great word to know.
So is ort. Does it mean:
| a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal. |
| an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance. |
Collins
World English Dictionary
ness (nɛs) ![[Click for IPA pronunciation guide]](http://static.sfdict.com/dictstatic/g/d/dictionary_questionbutton_default.gif) | |
| —n | |
| a. archaic a promontory or headland | |
| b. (capital as part of a name): Orford Ness | |
| [Old English næs headland; related to Old Norse nes, Old English nasu | |
| Ness (nɛs) | |
| —n | |
| Loch Ness a lake in NW Scotland, in the Great Glen: said to be inhabited by an aquatic monster. Length: 36 km (22.5 miles). Depth: 229 m (754 ft) | |
| -ness | |
| —suffix forming nouns | |
| indicating state, condition, or quality, or an instance of one of these: greatness; selfishness; meaninglessness; a kindness | |
| [Old English -nes, of Germanic origin; related to Gothic -nassus] | |
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History
ness
obsolete except in place names, is O.E. næs "a promontory," related to nasu "nose" (see nose).
-ness
suffix of action, quality or state, attached to an adj. or pp. to form a noun, from O.E. -nes(s), general W.Gmc., cf. M.Du. -nisse, O.H.G. -nissa, Ger. -nis, Goth. -inassus.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Cite This Source
American Heritage
Abbreviations & Acronyms
| NESS National Environmental Satellite Service |
The American Heritage® Abbreviations Dictionary, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Cite This Source
Example sentences from the web
They also argue that the monster encounter occurred on the river ness, not in the loch.
Related Searches
Nearby Words
Copyright © 2013 Dictionary.com, LLC. All rights reserved.
