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nobly

 - 2 dictionary results

no⋅bly

[noh-blee]
–adverb
1. in a noble manner.
2. courageously; bravely; gallantly.
3. splendidly; superbly; magnificently.
4. of noble ancestry: nobly born.

Origin:
1250–1300; ME nobliche. See noble, -ly
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2010.
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no·ble   (nō'bəl)   
adj.   no·bler, no·blest
  1. Possessing hereditary rank in a political system or social class derived from a feudalistic stage of a country's development.

    1. Having or showing qualities of high moral character, such as courage, generosity, or honor: a noble spirit.

    2. Proceeding from or indicative of such a character; showing magnanimity: "What poor an instrument/May do a noble deed!" (Shakespeare).

  2. Grand and stately in appearance; majestic: "a mighty Spanish chestnut, bare now of leaves, but in summer a noble tree" (Richard Jeffries).

  3. Chemistry Inactive or inert.

n.  
  1. A member of the nobility.

  2. A gold coin formerly used in England, worth half of a mark.


[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin nōbilis; see gnō- in Indo-European roots.]
no'ble·ness n., no'bly adv.
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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