I. ˈn(y)üs ə n(t)s noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English nusaunce, from Anglo-French nusaunce, nuisance, from Old French nuisir to hurt, harm (from Latin nocēre ) + -aunce, -ance -ance — more at noxious
1. : harm , injury
relieving the nuisance of poisonous fumes from rural factories — Collier's Year Book
2. law : an offensive, annoying, unpleasant, or obnoxious thing or practice : a cause or source of annoyance that although often a single act is usually a continuing or repeated invasion or disturbance of another's right — see private nuisance , public nuisance
3. : a person that annoys usually by obtrusion : pest
he was a perfect nuisance , running through the house slamming doors
4.
a. : a vexing, difficult, or distressing practice or state of things
the nuisance of litter in the countryside — Manchester Guardian Weekly
b. : something that is disagreeable or troublesome : annoyance
timber was cheap, in fact, a nuisance to those who wanted farms — S.H.Holbrook
motels … accessible without the nuisance of city traffic — Look
II. adjective
1. : possessing the ability to annoy, distress, or hamper
burn off the nuisance scrub growth — Frank Cameron
the nuisance strikes in public services that seriously injured the tourist season — W.H.Chamberlin
2. : constituting a nuisance — used especially of wild animals
transfer of nuisance beavers