~ 1 [ nʌn ]
■ pronoun not any.
↘no person; no one.
■ adverb ( ~ the ) [with comparative ] by no amount; not at all.
Phrases
~ other than used to emphasize the surprising identity of a person or thing.
will have (or want ) ~ of something refuse to approve or take part in something.
Origin
OE nān , from ne 'not' + ān 'one', of Gmc origin.
Usage
Some people insist that ~ can only take a singular verb, never a plural verb: ~ of them is coming tonight rather than ~ of them are coming tonight . There is little justification for this view: ~ has been used for around a thousand years with both a singular and a plural verb, depending on the context and the emphasis needed.
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~ 2 [ nəʊn ]
(also ~s )
■ noun a service forming part of the Divine Office of the Western Christian Church, traditionally said at the ninth hour of the day (3 p.m.).
Origin
C19: from Fr., from L. nona , feminine singular of nonus 'ninth'; cf. noon .