/nuth"ing/ , n.
1. no thing; not anything; naught: to say nothing.
2. no part, share, or trace (usually fol. by of ): The house showed nothing of its former magnificence.
3. something that is nonexistent.
4. nonexistence; nothingness: The sound faded to nothing.
5. something or someone of no importance or significance: Money is nothing when you're without health.
6. a trivial action, matter, circumstance, thing, or remark: to exchange a few nothings when being introduced.
7. a person of little or no importance; a nobody.
8. something that is without quantity or magnitude.
9. a cipher or naught: Nothing from nine leaves nine.
10. (used in conventional responses to expressions of thanks): Think nothing of it. It's nothing. Nothing to it.
11. for nothing ,
a. free of charge.
b. for no apparent reason or motive.
c. futilely; to no avail: They had gone to a great deal of expense for nothing.
12. in nothing flat , in very little time: Dinner was finished in nothing flat.
13. make nothing of ,
a. to treat lightly; regard as easy.
b. to be unsuccessful in comprehending: He could make nothing of the complicated directions.
14. nothing but , nothing other than; only: We could see nothing but fog.
15. nothing doing ,
a. Informal. emphatically no; certainly not.
b. no activity, inducement, advantage, etc., present to the eye: We drove through the town but there seemed to be nothing doing.
16. nothing less than or short of , absolutely; completely: She was used to nothing less than the best.
17. think nothing of ,
a. to treat casually.
b. to regard as insignificant: He thinks nothing of lying to conceal his incompetence.
adv.
18. in no respect or degree; not at all: It was nothing like that. Nothing dismayed, he repeated his question.
adj.
19. amounting to nothing, as in offering no prospects for satisfaction, advancement, or the like: She was stuck in a nothing job.
[ bef. 900; ME; OE nanthing, nathing; see NO 2 , THING 1 ]