nui·sance

[noo-suhns, nyoo-]
noun
1.
an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc.: a monthly meeting that was more nuisance than pleasure.
2.
Law. something offensive or annoying to individuals or to the community, especially in violation of their legal rights.

Origin:
1375–1425; late Middle English nu(i)sa(u)nce < Anglo-French, equivalent to nuis(er) to harm (≪ Latin nocēre) + -ance -ance

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Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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World English Dictionary
nuisance (ˈnjuːsəns) [Click for IPA pronunciation guide]
 
n
1.  a.  a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother
 b.  (as modifier): nuisance calls
2.  law something unauthorized that is obnoxious or injurious to the community at large (public nuisance) or to an individual, esp in relation to his ownership or occupation of property (private nuisance)
3.  nuisance value the usefulness of a person's or thing's capacity to cause difficulties or irritation
 
[C15: via Old French from nuire to injure, from Latin nocēre]

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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00:10
Nuisance is always a great word to know.
So is lollapalooza. Does it mean:
an extraordinary or unusual thing, person, or event; an exceptional example or instance.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nuisance
c.1410, "injury, hurt, harm," from Anglo-Fr. nusaunce, from O.Fr. nuisance, from pp. stem of nuire "to harm," from L. nocere "to hurt" (see noxious). Sense has softened over time, to "anything obnoxious to a community" (bad smells, pests, eyesores), 1661, then "source of
annoyance, something personally disagreeable" (1831). Applied to persons from 1695.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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American Heritage
Idioms & Phrases

nuisance

see make a nuisance of oneself.

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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Example sentences
Whether a trout is a nuisance or a valued member of the community depends upon
  where you stand on the map.
In some areas, such as airports, they are so numerous that they are considered
  a nuisance.
They are a nuisance, less dangerous than driving while texting.
How to control nuisance cottontails on your property.
Idioms & Phrases
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