/ nʌn; NAmE / pronoun , adverb
■ pronoun
none (of sb/sth) not one of a group of people or things; not any :
None of these pens works / work.
We have three sons but none of them lives / live nearby.
We saw several houses but none we really liked.
Tickets for Friday? Sorry we've got none left.
He told me all the news but none of it was very exciting.
'Is there any more milk?' 'No, none at all .'
( formal )
Everybody liked him but none (= nobody) more than I.
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IDIOMS
- none but
- none other than
- have / want none of sth
- none the less
■ adverb
1.
used with the and a comparative to mean 'not at all' :
She told me what it meant at great length but I'm afraid I'm none the wiser .
He seems none the worse for the experience.
2.
used with too and an adjective or adverb to mean 'not at all' or 'not very' :
She was looking none too pleased.
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GRAMMAR
none of
When you use none of with an uncountable noun, the verb is in the singular:
None of the work was done.
When you use none of with a plural noun or pronoun, or a singular noun referring to a group of people or things, you can use either a singular or a plural verb. The singular form is used in a formal style in BrE :
None of the trains is / are going to London.
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None of her family has / have been to college.
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WORD ORIGIN
Old English nān , from ne not + ān one , of Germanic origin; compare with German nein no!.