I. ˈnō; when expressing disgust, impatience, or strong disagreement ˈnȯ, ˈnä, ˈnȧ, ( especially when reduplicated ) ˈnə, ˈʔmʔm, ˈʔəʔə, or ˈʔäⁿˌ ʔäⁿ adverb
Etymology: Middle English no, na, from Old English nō, nā, from ne not, no + ā, ō ever, always; akin to Old Saxon & Old High German ni, ne not, Old Norse ne, nē, Gothic ni, Old Irish ni, nī, Latin ne- not (negative prefix), nē not, Greek nē-, Sanskrit na, nā, Old Slavic ne — more at aye (ever)
1.
a. chiefly Scotland : not
have walked forty miles and yet am no wearied — Hugh Mitchell
and he's no rightly young either — John Buchan
b. — used as a function word to express the negative of an alternative choice or possibility
whether he was satisfied or no — H.J.Laski
shall we write a letter or no — J.H.Robinson †1936
2. : in no respect or degree : not at all — used in comparisons
regard criticism … as no better than blasphemy — Elmer Davis
is no more serious than the rest of them
your experience was no different from mine
3. : not so — used to express negation, dissent, denial, or refusal in answer to a question or request
are you going? No, I am not going
no , you can't have any more candy
or to introduce a statement correcting or contradicting a preceding statement
no , that's not the way the accident happened
4. — used with a following adjective to imply a meaning expressed by the opposite positive statement
express his opinions in no uncertain terms — B.W.Bond
a teacher of no mean ability — L.W.Fox
an item of no small importance — B.H.Hibbard
5. — used as a function word to emphasize a following negative or to introduce a more emphatic, explicit, or comprehensive statement
none is righteous, no , not one — Rom 3:10 (Revised Standard Version)
had the ambition, no , the conviction, that he would … be a great singer — Hans Herbert
6. — used as an interjection to express surprise, doubt, or incredulity
no , that's impossible
no , you couldn't have been the one responsible
II. ˈnō adjective
Etymology: Middle English no, non, na, nan, from Old English nān — more at none
1.
a. : not any
let there be no strife between you and me — Gen 13:8 (Revised Standard Version)
and no birds sing — John Keats
with no dancing in the streets or ritual bonfires — Mollie Panter-Downes
wanted no part of army routine — Georg Meyers
show little or no concern for the … rest of the population — Vera M. Dean
no two of the rugged, scarecrow figures were dressed alike — F.V.W.Mason
b. : hardly any : very little
in no time other families followed — John Mason Brown
it's no distance from the house to the store
2. : not a : quite other than a : far from being a — usually used to modify a predicate noun
whether this is true … I don't know; I'm no anatomist — Deems Taylor
that goodness is no name and happiness no dream — Lord Byron
this was no Bohemia, but a workshop in the woods — American Guide Series: New Hampshire
it was no job to pull the elk cows out of the water — F.B.Gipson
3. : not any possible — used to modify a gerund that follows a finite form of the verb to be
there's no speaking a word but you fly into a passion — Fanny Burney
there's no accounting for tastes
4. : that is absent, lacking, or nonexistent
frankly confide to yourself these opinions or rather no opinions of mine — Thomas Jefferson
— usually used in combination
thoroughly frightened with certain no -persons called ghosts — Henry Fielding
a dog such as I have described, whatever be this breed or his no -breed — William Carnegie
•
- no dice
III. noun
( plural noes or nos )
1. : an act or instance of refusing or denying by the use of the word no : denial
my wooing mind shall be expressed in russet yeas and honest kersey noes — Shakespeare
the Everlasting No — Thomas Carlyle
2.
a. : a negative vote or decision
110 ayes were cast and only 16 noes
b. noes or nos plural : persons voting in the negative
the chairman asked the noes to raise their right hands
IV. noun
or noh “
( plural no or noh )
Usage: often capitalized
Etymology: Japanese nō, literally, talent, ability
: classic Japanese dance-drama that is heroic in subject and in the use of measured chants and movements — called also nogaku
V. abbreviation
1. north
2. nose
3.
[Latin numero, abl. of numerus ]
number