nobility

a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

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Collins

World English Dictionary

nobility (nəʊˈbɪlɪtɪ)

—n , pl -ties
1.	a socially or politically privileged class whose titles are conferred by descent or by royal decree
2.	the state or quality of being morally or spiritually good; dignity: the nobility of his mind
3.	(in the British Isles) the class of people holding the titles of dukes, marquesses, earls, viscounts, or barons and their feminine equivalents collectively; peerage

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

nobility

late 14c., "quality of being excellent or rare," from O.Fr. nobilite (Fr. nobilité), from L. nobilitatem (nom. nobilitas) "nobleness," from nobilis "well-known, prominent" (see noble). Meaning "quality of being of noble rank or birth" is attested from mid-15c.; sense

of "noble class collectively" is from 1520s.

Example sentences

Her dignity and nobility of character was inspirational.

We know for a fact that the nobility did not invest money in business.

We will deeply miss our beloved friend whose kindness, generosity and nobility

of spirit enriched our lives.

It is a mastaba tomb, typical of a tomb for nobility of the time.

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Matching Quote

"The ideal of brotherhood of man, the building of the Just City, is one that cannot be discarded without lifelong feelings of disappointment and loss. But, if we are to live in the real world, discard it we must. Its very nobility makes the results of its breakdown doubly horrifying, and it breaks down, as it always will, not by some external agency but because it cannot work."

-Kingsley Amis