adv. & n.
adv. 1 equivalent to a negative sentence: the answer to your question is negative, your request or command will not be complied with, the statement made or course of action intended or conclusion arrived at is not correct or satisfactory, the negative statement made is correct. 2 (foll. by compar.) by no amount; not at all (no better than before). 3 Sc. not (will ye no come back again?).
n. (pl. noes) 1 an utterance of the word no. 2 a denial or refusal. 3 a negative vote. is no more has died or ceased to exist. no better than she should be morally suspect; sexually promiscuous. no can do colloq. I am unable to do it. the noes have it the negative voters are in the majority. no less (often foll. by than) 1 as much (gave me $50, no less; gave me no less than $50; is no less than a scandal; a no less fatal victory). 2 as important (no less a person than the President). 3 disp. no fewer (no less than ten people have told me). no longer not now or henceforth as formerly. no more n. nothing further (have no more to say; want no more of it).
adj. not any more (no more wine?).
adv. 1 no longer. 2 never again. 3 to no greater extent (is no more a lord than I am; could no more do it than fly in the air). 4 just as little, neither (you did not come, and no more did he). no, no an emphatic equivalent of a negative sentence (cf. sense 1 of adv.). no-see-em (or -um) US a small bloodsucking insect, esp. a midge of the family Ceratopogonidae. no sooner ... than see SOON. not take no for an answer persist in spite of refusals. or no or not (pleasant or no, it is true). whether or no 1 in either case. 2 (as an indirect question) which of a case and its negative (tell me whether or no).
[ OE no, na f. ne not + o, a ever ]