| 释义 |
nineadj.n. Origin: A word inherited from Germanic. Etymology: Cognate with Old Frisian nigun , niugun , niogen (West Frisian njoggen ), Old Dutch nigun (Middle Dutch negen , negene , neghen , Dutch negen ), Old Saxon nigun , nigon (Middle Low German negen , negene ) < a variant (with velarization of -w- ) of the Germanic base of Old High German niun , nūn , nuin (Middle High German niun , neun , niwan , etc., German neun ), Old Icelandic, Icelandic níu , Old Swedish, Swedish nio , Old Danish, Danish ni , Gothic niun , Crimean Gothic nyne < the same Indo-European base as Sanskrit nava , Avestan nava- , ancient Greek ἐννέα , classical Latin novem (with ending remodelled after decem ten adj.), Early Irish noí (Irish naoi ), Middle Welsh, Welsh naw , Armenian inn , Tocharian A ñu , Tocharian B ñu , Old Church Slavonic devętĭ , Russian devjat′ , Old Prussian newīn- (attested only in newīnts ninth), Lithuanian devyni , etc., Albanian nëntë (with suffix, influenced in form by the ordinal); the Slavonic and (modern) Baltic forms show alteration of initial n- to d- after forms of ten adj. A cardinal numeral represented by 9 in arabic numerals, or by ix, IX in roman. A. adj.the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [adjective] α. eOE Royal Charter: Berhtwulf of Mercia to Forðred (Sawyer 204) in F. E. Harmer (1914) 5 Ego Berchtwulf cyning sile Forðrede minum ðegne nigen higida lond in Wudotune. eOE (Parker) anno 897 Nigon nihtum ær middum sumere. OE 9 He þa æfter nigan monða fæce forðeode. c1175 (Burchfield transcript) l. 1051 All enngle þeod todæledd iss O niȝhenn kinne þeode. ?a1200 (?OE) (1896) 7 Beȝyte man hym rudan..and eorðjui..and laurtreowes leaf em mycel oððer þæra beriȝa nigon and seoþ hit eall togadere on wætera. a1225 ( (Winteney) (1888) 55/28 On monandæȝe..to nonsange syn..þry capitles ȝesungene of þam nyȝan capitelum. a1225 ( (Winteney) (1888) 57 Þa niwon sealmes syn dæȝhanlice ȝeedlæhte ofer ealle wucan ȝeond þa sylfa tida oð þone sunnendæȝ. c1330 (?a1300) (1886) l. 364 (MED) Niȝen woukes and mare Þe mariners flet on flod. c1380 (1879) 2720 (MED) Ne were þer þo bot kniȝtes neȝene to fiȝte aȝen þat host. ?a1425 (Rawl. Poet. 175) (1898) l. 1124 (MED) Þe neghen antems next folowand And thre versikles [v.r. versykils]..bring ful chere To him. c1450 (?a1400) (Ashm.) 4810 Þus drafe þai furth..a neȝen daies euen. 2. spec. Designating proverbial groupings of nine. OE Ælfric (Royal) (1997) i. 180 Ða getrymde se ælmihtiga god þa nigon engla werod. c1225 (?c1200) (Royal) (1938) 28 (MED) Engles..beoð aa biuore godd & seruið him eauer..Nihe ordres [c1225 Bodl. wordes; a1250 Titus woredes] þer beoð. c1230 (?a1200) (Corpus Cambr.) (1962) 19 Þer beoð nihene englene weoredes. c1390 (a1325) Ipotis (Vernon) 90 in C. Horstmann (1881) 2nd Ser. 342 (MED) Niȝene ordres, sire, þer ben: Þe furste ordre is Cherubin. a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) 23267 (MED) Nine [a1400 Gött. Niene] orders of angels þai forsok, Quen þai þaim to þe warlau tok. c1475 ( Surg. Treat. in f. 47 (MED) Þer ben xj heuenes and ix ordris of aungels. a1513 W. Dunbar (1998) I. 275 Off angellis all the ordour nyne. 1530 (Fawkes) (1873) ii. 119 So are the nyne orders of aungels departed in thre pryncehoodes as in thre hoostes. a1555 D. Lindsay (1931–6) 383 And all the Angellis of the Ordouris Nyne, Haueand compatioun of our Misareis. a1600 in C. Brown (1939) 178 Wnto his trone, with hie tryvmphald tryne, Is gone þis glorius prince of most degre, With sang of all þe angellis ordouris nyne. 1630 i. iii. 5 Can any question trouble me? Which haue found out the nine Orders of Angels, Purgatorie, and the two limboes of Hel? a1644 F. Quarles (1960) 8 Dennis who sweats to put on ranke and file Heav'ns Spirits by nine orders; doth beguile Himselfe and me. 1656 T. Blount at Hierarchy The Hierarchy or Holy Order of Angels contains (as some affirm) nine degrees. a1711 T. Ken (1721) I. 35 Nine heavenly orders enter one by one, The lowest shin'd much brighter than the sun. 1851 G. Clayton 120 Dionysius enumerates nine orders of angels, corresponding to the number specified in the Scriptures. 1872 A. T. de Vere 49 Down knelt in Heaven the Angelic Orders Nine. 1888 Dec. 73 Around and behind the throne were arranged semicircularly in tiers, one above the other, nine orders of angels. 1920 35 88 On October 12, 1446 John Somerset..and others were granted a license to found a gild in honor of the nine orders of holy angels. 1953 14 502 Man is an epitome of the universe and the faculties of his soul correspond to the nine orders of angels. 2000 (Nexis) 20 Dec. E1 Seraphim..are listed in the Bible as one of the nine orders of angels who stand in the presence of God. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate (Arun.) (1911) 828 (MED) Ne ther was none of the musys nyne By on accord to make melodye. c1450 (Sloane 2464) 1516 (MED) These Sevene Sustryn..Yif I my penne to this matere doo applye, The nyne musys blame shal..That they vnlabouryd stant on my partye. 1531 T. Elyot iii. f. 137v Therfore there were diuised to be nyne Muses, whiche also for the resemblaunce of their disposition were fayned by the poetes to be nyne virgines, that firste inuented all lyberall sciences. 1589 T. Nashe To Students in R. Greene sig. Av A pot of blew burning ale, with a fierie flaming tost, is as good as Pallas with the nine Muses on Pernassus top. 1620 T. Middleton & W. Rowley sig. C4 Musique and this Song as an Inuocation to the nine Muses; (who in the time) are discouer'd on the vpper Stage, plac'd by the nine Worthies, and toward the conclusion descend, each one led by a Muse. 1677 Duke of Newcastle & T. Shadwell iii. 55 I have an excellent Song, how the nine Muses invited a Poet to Dinner. 1757 J. Maclaurin i. 7 We were a fairer spectacle to see, Than the nine muses, with their president Apollo, though they are divinities, And we but mortal men. a1777 S. Foote (1778) ii. i. 40 Enchanting! ravishing sounds! not the Nine Muses themselves, nor Mrs. Baddeley, is equal to you. 1839 C. Dickens xlix. 490 Melt all these down into one, with the three Graces, the nine Muses, and fourteen biscuit-bakers' daughters from Oxford-street, and make a woman half as lovely. 1884 W. Besant II. xv. 77 It has been held that from Venus..are born..the nine Muses, who are, in fact, Poetry, Music, Dancing, Acting, Gallantry, Courtesy, Politeness, Courtship, and Intrigue, and not Thalia and her sisters at all, unless they can be proved to have those attributes. 1922 J. Joyce ii. xv. [Circe] 463 Plaster figures, also naked, representing the new nine muses, Commerce, Operatic Music, Amor, Publicity, Manufacture, Liberty of Speech, Plural Voting, Gastronomy, Private Hygiene, Seaside Concert Entertainments, Painless Obstetrics and Astronomy for the People. 1953 ‘H. MacDiarmid’ (1994) II. 1370 It's the Castle Esplanade for fules like me For a Ghurka band's worth mair Than a' the nine muses there! 1993 D. Dunn I. 18 At the unfashionable end of the book trade I offer up these prayers to The Nine Muses. the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > reputation > fame or renown > famous or eminent person > [noun] > in antiquity > specific ?c1450 (Trin. Cambr.) (1908) 459 (MED) These were the iiij estates with alle the ix worthies. 1454 in F. J. Furnivall (1882) 133 Also y bequeth to my brother..the hallyng with the ix wurthy.] a1513 J. Irland (1926) I. 11 All the nyne noble in armes. a1525 Talis Fyve Bestes l. 290, in W. A. Craigie (1925) II. 136 Alexander..The quhilk of þe nyne nobillis was one. c1536 sig. A.i Though thou be not set amonge ye worthyes nyne. Yet wast thou a conqueroure in thy tyme. 1550 J. Coke sig. Bij Charlemayne..for his valyauntnesse is of the nombre of the nyne Worthyes. 1586 J. Ferne i. 156 Semyramis..is one, of the nine, worthies of that sexe. a1600 ( W. Stewart tr. H. Boece (1858) II. 698 This Godefrye..Quhilk numberit is amang the nobillis nyne. 1610 R. Tofte tr. N. de Montreux ii. 3 That famous Iosuah, one of the nine Worthies. a1668 W. Davenant News from Plimouth ii, in (1673) 6 But hear the wager, I'le be short and pithee. There grew an argument, among which, Of the Nine Worthies, Christian, Heathen, Jew, Deserv'd privity. 1710 E. Ward iii. ix. 167 Yet I can be, Sir, if I please Both Baldwin and Abyndaraez; Nay, the Twelve Peers of France beside, Or the Nine Worthies, were I try'd. 1715 G. Villiers II. i. 27 If ever there be nine Worthies of Women this Wench shall ride astride, and be their Captain. 1817 J. B. Burges ii. i. 261 I have reflected on your offer, and think I may as well make one of your party. Hildebrand. There spoke all the nine worthies at once! 1880 Mar. 399/1 He was one of a knot of young fellows of literary tastes and convivial habits who delighted to be known as ‘the nine worthies,’ or the ‘lads of Kilkenny’. 1892 7 342 In 1541 the procession of Corpus Christi in Dublin..was followed by the play of the Nine Worthies. 1906 G. B. Shaw 29 Sept. (1972) II. 657 The points we cannot accept. These are .2. The triumvirates, on the ground that the nine worthies cannot be found to take the responsibility. 1963 14 103 The Nine Worthies belong to that province of learning which lies between the Exempla of the Middle Ages and the Imprese of the Renaissance. 1994 69 781 The last figure has the bulk of the poem, including descriptions of the Nine Worthies and numerous other figures from the past. 3. In other allusive and proverbial uses. the world > time > relative time > the future or time to come > newness or novelty > [noun] > a new thing or novelty > time for which a novelty attracts attention the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [noun] > event > of temporary interest a1350 in G. L. Brook (1968) 40 Þou woldest vachen an newe, ant take anoþer wiþinne nyȝe naht. a1425 (c1385) G. Chaucer (1987) iv. 588 Ek wonder last but nyne nyght nevere in towne. c1450 C. d'Orleans (1941) 208 (MED) For this a wondir last but dayes nyne, An oold proverbe is seid. 1546 J. Heywood ii. i. sig. Fiiiv This wonder..lasted nine daies. 1578 J. Lyly To Rdrs. sig. Aiiij The greatest wonder lasteth but nyne dayes. 1592 T. Kyd iii. sig. Gv Which as a nine daies wonder being ore-blowne. 1602 How a Man iv. ii, in (1824) 75 Her timeless death Is but a nine days' talk. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. ii. 170 I was seuen of the nine daies out of the wonder, before you came. View more context for this quotation 1633 P. Massinger iv. ii. sig. I2 That were but nine dayes wonder. 1673 F. Kirkman 109 She had Clapping and general Applause, but every new thing being as they say, but nine dayes wonder; hers was not to last many years. 1723 J. Barker sig. A2 The Parents were very well content, only wish'd she had proceeded otherwise, and not made herself the Publick Subject of a Nine Days Wonder. 1762 C. Churchill iii. 81 He would be found..A nine days' Wonder at the most. 1819 Ld. Byron clxxxviii. 97 The nine days' wonder which was brought to light. 1861 T. Hughes III. ix. 151 His escape on the night of the riot had been a nine-days' wonder. 1897 B. Stoker vii. 83 As the matter is to be a ‘nine days' wonder,’ they are evidently determined that there shall be no cause of after complaint. 1940 J. Colville Diary 8 Jan. in (1985) 69 All this may, as Charles Peake thinks, be a nine-days' wonder. 1985 T. Lundberg vi. 70 There is great risk in becoming involved in a product that is a ‘nine-day wonder’ (e.g. skateboards). the world > space > direction > in the direction that [phrase] > oblique or askew the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders of eye > disordered vision > [adverb] > squinting 1542 N. Udall tr. Homer in tr. Erasmus ii. f. 180v (note) Squyntyied he was, and looked nyne wayes. a1657 G. Daniel Trinarchodia: Richard II cccxxvi, in (1878) III. 218 Passion flyes Squinting, and, as wee say, Nine wayes at Thrice. 1691 J. Dunton I. 44 Of all the Eyes in the World he envies those that squint, because they can look nine ways at once. 1696 T. D'Urfey iii. ii. 26 Ay, I'll make her look nine ways at once before I have done with her, by Conscience. 1711 E. Ward II. xxxv. 312 I see you bounce Your Head full butt against the Stones, And made 'em fly nine Ways at once. 1727 J. Swift Stella's Birth-day: 1722 in J. Swift et al. iii. 157 First, nine Ways looking, let her stand With an old Poker in her Hand. 1847 Apr. 520 An uncommon operation she performed upon the chairman of one of the committees,—that of making him look nine ways at once,—a compound strabismus of singular pathological interest we can barely allude to. 1993 H. Carruth 58 Cometh the child exploded running nine ways at once an egg dropped a cup spilled a universe erupting hell on wheels. 1546 J. Heywood ii. iv. sig. Giiv A woman hath nyne lyues lyke a cat. ?a1563 W. Baldwin (1584) sig. Biij And therof hath come the prouerb as trew as common, that a Cat hath nine liues, that is to say, a witch may take on her a Cats body nine times. 1597 W. Shakespeare iii. i. 76 Nothing King of Cates, but borrow one of your nine liues . View more context for this quotation 1602 T. Dekker f. 3v I shall be mowz'd by pusse-cattes: but I had rather dye a dogs death; they haue nine liues (a peece like a woman). a1644 F. Quarles (1649) i. i. 8 From two-legg'd Cats with thrice nine lives, From scalding woort, from scolding Wives. 1680 iii. i. 27 Dian. Indeed! How many Mistrisses have you had? Sir John. Some Nine, or thereabouts. Dian. Then you have had nine lives, like a Cat. 1747 W. King iv. 189 But the Hero well judging, that masculine Wives Often rise from the Dead, and like Cats have nine Lives. 1773 J. Robertson (rev. ed.) 242 'Tis thought that Cats have got nine lives: Some husbands think so of their wives. 1807 A. W. Leland v. 22 Phi. Is he dead? Jago. Yes that he is, if he'd the nine lives of a cat, for the black of blood of his heart closely followed my dagger out. 1879 Apr. 882/1 The cat, after a long fast, was taken out, with three of its nine lives apparently intact. 1904 L. F. Baum 154 I had the good fortune to save the ninth life of a tailor—tailors having, like cats, nine lives. 1931 J. C. Woods 48 I am that cat, nine lives agone, Who brushed about your shoon, Villon. 1992 26 Dec. 15/1 To judge by the on-off progress of the Uruguay round of trade talks, the GATT has nine lives. Even that may not be enough. the world > relative properties > kind or sort > generality > in general [phrase] > for the most part 1648 H. Parker 16 In my Lord Cooks opinion nine parts of ten of all our English Staple Commodities, are such as we sheere from the Sheeps back. 1697 M. Pix sig. A4 For I dare say, of what most pleas'd our Guests, Nine parts in Ten were still sheer Bawdy Jests. 1753 S. Richardson VI. xxvii. 166 I have a multitude of faults myself..or I should despise nine parts of the world out of ten. 1767 A. Campbell p. xxii The Ramblers of Mr. J——n..are actually thought to be so by nine readers of ten in the nation. 1776 H. Cowley II. 27 So plain, that nine times out of ten, at least, mistakes must be wilful. 1809 B. H. Malkin tr. A. R. Le Sage I. i. v. 49 They..nine times out of ten flogged me for nothing. 1839 T. Hood Run-over in 300 It would have been a quietus for nine men out of ten. 1879 Mrs. A. G. F. E. James 43 In nine cases out of ten you will not find your confidence misplaced. 1903 S. Butler 110 His children are the most defenceless things he can reach, and it is on them in nine cases out of ten that he will relieve his mind. 1927 19 Oct. 3/4 Nine times out of ten the carded distance is wrong. 1987 M. Kochanski (1988) XII. 277 When humans contract the disease, nine times out of ten, it is from an infected rabbit or hare. 2001 (Nexis) 12 Feb. In nine cases out of 10, an accident in this country has little to do with an unexpected happening. 1855 30 Jan. 1/4 ‘The Judge's Big Shirt’... What a silly, stupid woman! I told her to get just enough to make three shirts; instead of making three, she has put the whole nine yards into one shirt!] 1907 2 May The regular nine is going to play the business men as many innings as they can stand, but we can not promise the full nine yards. 1908 4 June 3/5 Roscoe went fishing and has a big story to tell... He will catch some unsuspecting individual some of these days and give him the whole nine yards. 1956 July 18/2 The Kentucky Afield Fishing Derbies are underway!.. There are a total of six derbies; a Grand Prize Derby, and a derby a month at at a major Kentucky fishing spot... So that's the whole nine-yards. 1962 Dec. 2 Your staff of testers cannot fairly and equitably appraise the Chevrolet Impala sedan, with all nine yards of goodies, against the Plymouth Savoy which has straight shift and none of the mechanical conveniences which are quite common now. 1981 16 Jan. (Weekend section) 20/3 A Japanese disaster film, Virus, goes the whole nine yards, showing the city as a deserted freeway underpass. 1992 N. George 65 These kids are baaaaaaad little dudes with beepers and the whole nine. 1994 J. R. Feagin & M. P. Sikes iv. 165 I had to go through the entire nine yards of my probation. 2008 6 Jan. (New Review) 26/4 Guns, girls, murder, the whole nine yards, as old friends are killed. the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [adjective] > ninth a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) 2.161 Now, þe ȝere of..þe secounde kyng Richard after þe conquest nyne..children leueþ Frensche and construeþ and lerneþ an Englische. ?a1425 (a1400) (Corpus Cambr.) 291 (MED) In þe neyne ȝere of his regne..Edwarde rode into Scotlond. 1432 No. 285 The nyne day of August. 1510 in M. Livingstone (1908) I. 330/2 The nyne part of ane nettis fischin. a1586 R. Maitland (1829) iv In the nyne yeir Henrie the first. 1623 in L. B. Taylor (1942) I. 218 Upoun the nyn day of Julii. B. n.the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [noun] the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [noun] > figure representing OE Byrhtferð (Ashm.) (1995) i. ii. 38 Todæl þa nigon þurh seofon. Æne seofon beoð seofon; twa þær synt to lafe. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 326v Oon y-do to eighte makeþ þe noumbre of nyne. ?a1400 in J. O. Halliwell (1839) 31 (MED) The figure of nyne..hath this schape 9. 1577 T. Kendall 27 The letter first take from my name, And nine in number thou doest frame. 1595 M. Drayton (S.T.C.) sig. F3 For none but these were suffered to aproch..But these two of the numbers, nine and three, Which being od include an vnity. 1598 W. Shakespeare v. ii. 488 Three times thrice is nine . View more context for this quotation 1611 J. Florio at Nonarie Of nine. 1668 Duchess of Newcastle Bridals ii. 37 in Three Ciphers, with the Figure of Nine, my Master, will make it Nine thousand. 1705 C. Danby (1707) IV. 3 But still I was poring, and sought to Divine What Mystery lay in the Number of Nine. 1798 C. Hutton I. 10 Add the figures..and find how many nines are contained in their sum.—Reject those nines, and set down the remainder. 1804 J. Collins 147 They look'd when they found all their Projects fail, Like a Figure of Nine that had lost his Tail. 1870 A. Sonnenschein & H. A. Nesbitt i. xi. 132 Any number is an exact number of nines + the sum of its digits. 1909 1 Jan. 6/6 Take nine anyhow, multiply nine to any extent, add nine up; mix nine up with other numbers, and always where a nine gets in he produces an addition of himself. 1989 W. Gellert et al. (ed. 2) i. 26 The remainder on division by nine of a sum..is equal to the sum..of the individual remainders. 2. the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [noun] > nine things, persons, etc. OE (Northumbrian) xvii. 17 Nonne decem mundati sunt et nouem ubi sunt : ahne teno geclænsad woeron & ða nigona [OE Rushw. nione] huer sint. ?c1225 (?a1200) (Cleo. C.vi) (1972) 21 Ȝef hit bið ani munedai of ouwer leoue front, seggeð alle niȝene [c1230 Corpus Cambr. nihene; a1250 Nero niene]. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1978) l. 13227 Sone heom after wenden iwepnede kempen. þer sixe þer seouene þer æhte þer niȝene. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) 6713 Alle þat were aliue..arewe..he drou & tolde of hom þe teþe out & þe nine slou. c1330 (?a1300) (Auch.) (1973) 4687 (MED) Fif hundred on hors..Ac of hem, bot neiȝen, kniȝt Þer no ware. c1384 (Douce 369(2)) (1850) Luke xvii. 17 Wher ten ben not clensid, and where ben the nyne? a1400 (a1325) (Vesp.) 969 (MED) Of alkin fruit haf þou þe nine, For I wil þat þe tend be mine. a1425 (?a1300) (Linc. Inn) (1952) 2406 So Alisaundre among heore men Sleþ doun rȝt by nyne and ten. c1450 (?a1400) (BL Add. 31042) 297 (MED) I schall neuen ȝow the names of nyne of the beste. 1508 (Chepman & Myllar) sig. av Of the nobillest be name noumerit of nyne. 1526 (de Worde) f. 146v All the counseyles of our lorde Jesu Chryst may be reduced to these nyne. 1590 E. Spenser i. Proem ii. sig. A2 Helpe then, O holy virgin chiefe of nyne. a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. ii. 181 Fancies too weake for Boyes, too greene and idle For Girles of Nine . View more context for this quotation 1639 II. sig. D3 Yare a paire of worthies, That make the nine no wonder. a1668 W. Davenant News from Plimouth i. ii, in (1673) 6 Nine of 'em in a Teeme, have scarce the strength To draw a Hundred pounds out of Cheapside. 1726 J. Swift I. i. viii. 136 Fastning them..to nine of the Vessels which attended me. 1765 S. Foote III. 51 When you have..portioned off eight or nine of her sisters, it is not impossible that my lord may be prevailed on to suffer your name. 1790 A. Wheeler iii. 70 Thear wor neen on us set off frae this Side. 1814 J. Austen I. ix. 188 Julia, the only one out of the nine not tolerably satisfied with their lot, was now in a state of complete penance. View more context for this quotation 1828 W. Scott Fair Maid of Perth xi, in 2nd Ser. III. 299 Thus Eachin stood in the centre of nine of the strongest men of his band. 1868 X. 172/1 The same [holds] at long whist with players who are at nine. 1915 W. S. Maugham lxxxvii. 455 We've had twelve children and nine of them are alive. 1960 C. Day Lewis i. 19 The photograph shows my mother, at the age of nine or ten, perched up on an adult's bicycle against a window-ledge. 2001 (Electronic ed.) 17 Aug. Auckland, the defending champions, have won nine and lost seven this season. b. the Nine. the world > the supernatural > deity > classical deity > [noun] > the Muses the mind > mental capacity > perception or cognition > faculty of imagination > inventive or creative faculty > creative genius > [noun] > the muses c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) ii. 3686 I am nat aqueintid with no mwse Of alle nyne; þer-fore I me excuse.] 1635 F. Quarles v. iii. 254 'Tis not the sacred wealth of all the Nine Can buy my heart from Him. 1693 J. Dryden tr. Persius Prol. 3 I..claim no part in all the Mighty Nine. 1713 A. Pope 1 Descend ye Nine! descend and sing. 1757 J. Dyer iv. 145 My muse... Be thou the first of the harmonious Nine From high Parnassus. 1781 W. Cowper 184 Nor would the Nine consent the sacred tide Should purl amidst the traffic of Cheapside. 1803 T. Campbell 7 I bless thee, Promethean muse! And call thee brightest of the Nine. 1852 M. Arnold 69 'Tis Apollo comes leading His choir, The Nine. 1887 C. Bowen tr. Virgil Eclogues ix, in tr. 61 For I, through grace of the Nine, Poet am also. 1933 R. Kipling in 23 Feb. 16/1 He called the obedient Nine to aid The varied chase. And Clio kissed. society > authority > rule or government > politics > international politics or relations > international agreements > [noun] > customs union or common market > specific 1972 18 Oct. 15/3 It will be necessary for the governments of the Nine to decide what kind of Europe they want to be. 1975 18 Apr. 6/7 Nine safeguard New Zealand dairy products... The European Commission promises a new price review for New Zealand butter and cheese. 1979 Winter 83 The nations of the Nine naturally partake of the problems..of the whole Western developed world. the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [noun] > group of nine > persons 1857 25 July 283/3 The ‘Charter Oak’ is a new Club, with some smart players in their ‘nine’. a1860 A. Smith (1861) 69 A student..assures him that..the examiners never pluck two nines running. 1862 J. F. Campbell tr. in III. lxxxiv. 358 He could kill nine nines backwards..with his sword. 1911 Z. Grey iv. 38 The year before the faculty had advised and requested the players not to become members of the summer baseball nines. 1950 A. F. Merrill 77 On the first nine the longest hole is the par-5 Fourth... The second nine is interesting for a number of reasons. 1985 5 Aug. 33/3 One ace..who is there to halt a serious downturn for his own nine. 2001 (Electronic ed.) 14 Aug. ‘I saw Billy shoot 27 on the back nine,’ said Perry, who played a pair of nines in 29 this week. 3. the world > time > particular time > [noun] > the time or time of day > specific times of day c1425 J. Lydgate (Augustus A.iv) i. 3204 (MED) Vpon þe hour whan þe cloke is nyne. a1450 (?c1421) J. Lydgate (Arun.) (1911) 1050 (MED) By my chilyndre I gan anon to se..Of þe clok that it drogh to nyne. a1470 T. Malory (Winch. Coll. 13) (1990) I. 161 Hit was nyne of the clok. a1525 25 We commaund that no fyscher..by no maner of fysche on Thursday over-nyght by way of regratry, ne on Fryday aftur till hit be nyne of the Cloke. 1597 W. Shakespeare i. i. 158 But new stroke nine . View more context for this quotation a1616 W. Shakespeare (1623) iii. v. 44 Come to her, betweene eight and nine . View more context for this quotation 1647 J. Fletcher ii. i. 35 Nine a clock, and no clyents come Yet, sure thou dost not set up bills enough. 1693 (Royal Soc.) 17 673 Sometimes the Courses, Seams or Rakes..lie at Nine a Clock, and sometimes are perpendicular, which they call..Twelve a Clock. 1709 in B. Jarrett (1921) ix. 186 From foure a clocke in the Morning till nine at night. 1765 i. 135 About nine at night an extraordinary phænomenon was seen. 1793 C. Smith I. viii. 192 She said, that if Monimia did go, she must be back by nine o'clock at the very latest. 1843 G. Borrow I. vii. 130 I started at nine next morning. 1861 M. Pattison in Apr. 415 The gates were closed at nine o'clock. 1922 ‘R. Crompton’ (1924) x. 157 They promised to be here by nine. 1987 B. Moore i. 1 The car..entered Proclamation Square sometime between nine and nine fifteen. 1942 T. Rattigan ii. i. 117 Anyone hear the nine o'clock? I clean forgot the time. 1952 M. Laski i. 11 Since the King had spoken on the nine o'clock. 1973 J. Drummond xxxvi. 126 The ginger-headed Crabbe was watching the nine o'clock news. 1999 C. Tóibín (2000) i. 6 Hugh, as usual, had tuned to Raidio na Gaeltachta—and found Radio One just as the pips sounded for the nine o'clock news. 4. the world > time > relative time > immediacy > [adverb] 1568 A. Scott (1896) 92 The moir degest and grave, The grydiar to grip it; The nycest to ressave, Vpon the nynis will nip it. the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > perfection > [adverb] ?1719 W. Hamilton in A. Ramsay & W. Hamilton 8 How to the nines they did content me. 1787 24 Mar. 2/3 Last Saturday, one of those notorious villains,..dressed in his laced cloaths, and powdered off to the nines, went on board of a brig, bound for Calais. a1796 R. Burns (1968) I. 327 'Twad please me to the Nine. a1796 R. Burns (1968) I. 192 Thou paints auld nature to the nines. 1821 J. Galt viii. 218 He's such a funny man! and touches off the Londoners to the nines. 1837 11 Mar. 2/4 One evening a smart young mechanic, ‘dressed to the nines’, as Ben Bowline says, might have been seen wending his way along Broadway. 1863 C. Reade I. 203 Being clad in snowy cotton and japanned to the nine. 1876 T. Hardy I. i. 4 When she's dressed up to the nines for some grand party. 1928 J. Galsworthy i. viii. 63 Women then were defended up to the nines. 1963 N. C. E. Kenrick ix. 86 The 99th's sartorial perfection at this time [c1850] is said to have given rise to the expression ‘Dressed up to the nines’ as the other Regiments in Aldershot were constantly trying to achieve the same standard. 1979 J. Cooper (1980) ix. 208 He will decorate it to the nines to impress other rising pop stars. 2001 (Electronic ed.) 27 July Dressed to the nines in a morning suit and top hat, he was hired by the tourist office to distribute leaflets. society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > card game > card or cards > [noun] > number card > others 1599 J. Minsheu at Malilla A carde picked out and agreed vpon,..that he that hath him may make him king, queene, knaue, ace, ten, nine. &c. 1680 C. Cotton (ed. 2) 77 Suppose you have in your hand a Nine and two Sixes. 1728 E. Chambers at Ombre The whole Ombre Pack being only 40; by reason the Eights, Nines, and Tens are thrown aside. 1768 H. Brooke (Dublin ed.) III. xvi. 237 He does not know the difference between the Ace of Hearts and the Nine of Clubs. 1791 Feb. 141 The nine of diamonds [is called] the Curse of Scotland, because every ninth monarch of that nation was a bad King to his subjects. 1847 J. K. Paulding & W. I. Paulding v. v. 164 What's that?—the nine of diamonds—the curse of Scotland? 1868 X. 173 Dropping the nine, and holding queen and knave. 1895 ‘Templar’ 55 Suppose you have an utterly valueless hand dealt you, say for example, deuce, four of hearts, six of clubs, seven of spades and nine of diamonds. 1976 J. Archer xii. 136 Jean-Pierre stuck at eighteen, two nines which he did not split as the dealer had an ace. 1991 R. Schwartz tr. I. B. Singer i. 21 Once I had two nines—we call them shragess, worthless cards. the world > life > the body > external parts of body > limb > extremities > foot > [noun] > types of the world > textiles and clothing > clothing > types or styles of clothing > footwear > shoe or boot > shoe > [noun] > types of > other 1599 R. Percyvall & J. Minsheu 81 The..size of shooes, as nines, tens, &c. 1607 T. Middleton v. sig. Iv Courtiers haue feete ath nines, and tongues ath twellues. 1869 L. M. Alcott II. xxiii. 328 I want..a paper of number nine needles, and two yards of..lavender ribbon. 1919 Mar. 295/1 I wondered what the upper half of the man would look like; a pair of redoubtable number nines failed to tell much. 1986 16 July 30/1 For yonkers I've taken eights but now I'm into nines since my right foot had gotten bigger. 2001 (Electronic ed.) 17 Aug. Their latest single, Step on My Old Size Nines..is expected to fly straight into the top 10. the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [noun] > figure representing > thing or person distinguished by 1844 Mar. 171 Quoting only those portions which bear on our subject, we next come to number nine. 1867 F. E. Trollope III. 5 It is hard to say..why this especial house should have been Number Nine at all, seeing there were to be but six houses in the row. 1888 H. Morten 30 Voices repeat the fact..that ‘Nine’ is going to be sent away for a change. 1904 ‘H. Foulis’ xv. 99 But watch you if he hasna a hoast and thon hectic flush that aye breaks oot in chapter nine jist aboot the time he wins the gold medal. 1966 16 July 4 The group's ‘Pet Sounds’ LP—rush-released by EMI—entered the MM's best-selling LPs chart this week at number nine. 1987 S. Fiffer vi. 115 Number nine should also be a speed guy. If he can get on base with our leadoff hitter coming to the plate, a lot of things can happen. 1996 W. N. Herbert 64 By volume nine the scene once more acknowledged his existence, and silently unlatched the door inscribed ‘For Your Persistence’. CompoundseOE King Ælfred tr. Gregory (Hatton) (1871) lii. 411 Mara gefea wyrð on hefonum for anum hreowsiendum ðonne ofer nigon & hundnigontig ryhtwisra. OE Byrhtferð (Ashm.) (1995) i. ii. 40 Gif se monð ne þearf habban buton nigon and twentig nihta ealdne monan. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1963) 2804 & niȝen & þritti winter he heold þæs leoden. c1325 (c1300) (Calig.) 5208 (MED) Hit was eiȝte hundred ȝer & nyene & þritti þer to. c1390 (?a1300) (Vernon) (1867) i. l. 19 (MED) A feir Munstre [v.r. mynstyr] men mai þer se Niȝene and twenti greces þer be. a1400 (a1325) (Fairf. 14) 9179 (MED) He regned xxx ȝere and neyen. a1456 (a1402) J. Trevisa tr. (BL Add.) f. 98 (MED) Oure lawe comaundeþe..þat he haue nyen and thritty of lasshes [v.r. laȝssches]. a1475 (Lansd.) (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Washington) (1965) 56 (MED) Whanne þei weren gadrid yfere, Foure score and nyne maistres þer were. 1578 G. Whetstone ii. v. sig. Ciij The wynd is yl, blowes no mans gaine, for cold I neede not care, Here is nyne and twenty sutes of apparrell for my share. 1609 T. Heywood xvi. 415 They had of late, Theyr nine and forty husbands by th'austere Iniunction of their Sire, brought to sad Fate. 1697 (Royal Soc.) 19 599 We run this day thirty nine Leagues by a Compute from our Log-line. 1720 D. Defoe 336 In about Nine and Fifty Days we arriv'd from Bassora, at the Mouth of the River Tygrisand Euphrates, thro' the Desart, and thro' Aleppo to Alexandria. 1763 (Royal Soc.) 52 581 This comet resembles none of the forty-nine comets, whose elements are already known. 1851 June 88 Mrs Baillie was..prematurely brought to bed of twin-daughters, one of whom..lived for eighty-nine years and became the most celebrated of her race. 1885 E. Arnold 259 Then settled and fell The ‘Northern Belle’, As one who no more strives; But the foremast stood, Good Canada wood, With nine and twenty lives. 1937 Z. N. Hurston xvii. 219 She got ninety-nine rows uh jaw teeth and git her good and mad, she'll wade through solid rock up to her hip pockets. 1972 P. G. Lane 35 Oh lovely black mother, what circled void do you now traverse after nine and forty orbits in the space of earth? OE Ælfric (Royal) (1997) i. 185 Noe leofode on eallum his life..nigan hund geara & fiftig geara. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1963) 5149 Mid nihen hundred scipene heo commen in to hauene. c1275 (?a1200) Laȝamon (Calig.) (1978) l. 13278 To þan wuden þrungen niȝe þusende. c1300 St. Thomas Apostle (Harl.) 287 in C. D'Evelyn & A. J. Mill (1956) 581 (MED) Þer turnde neoȝe þousend men & ibaptised were. a1387 J. Trevisa tr. R. Higden (St. John's Cambr.) (1874) V. 105 He knowlechde his trespas to fore nyne [v.r. nyȝen] score bisshoppis. a1425 (a1400) (Galba & Harl.) (1863) 729 Neghen hundreth wynter man lyfed þan. 1455 in (1891) 15 151 Summa of the said Juelx founden yn the seid procuratores dayes, weyen nine score and six unces. c1540 (?a1400) 2638 My fader was..of fele yeres, To the nowmber of nene skowre. 1578 ‘B. G.’ sig. Civ Nyne hundred Iron Chariots, he brought into the field. With cruell captaine Sisera by force to make vs yeelde. 1619 iii. iii. 36 You haue my bonds of eight or nine score pounds in your hands, discharg'd tenne yeares since, I pray you let me haue them vp. 1656 S. Holland iii. ii. 144 In this City there were no less then nine hundred thousand Churches. 1722 W. Hamilton viii. iv. 104 Thither they went, their Time did not purloyn; Nine Thousand Scots, did there with Wallace joyn. 1796 tr. A. von Kotzebue i. vi. 31 Why out of nine millions of slaves which the new world received, are seven and an half dead? 1846 R. H. Horne 49 It is the polish'd helmet-glare Of nine score vassals hidden there, Ready whene'er I give the word To rush upon thee. 1878 Apr. 78 The originally modest estimates were repeatedly swollen..until the whole amount appropriated now reaches nine million dollars. 1925 Apr. 32/2 (advt.) Nine million families use our catalogs because they save on every purchase. 1992 18 Oct. 60/5 Nine billion dollars in pork went out the window in one campaign week. OE (Tiber. B.iv) anno 1052 Þæt wæs on þam nigon & þrittigoðan geare þæs þe hit ongunnen hæfde. a1398 J. Trevisa tr. Bartholomaeus Anglicus (BL Add.) f. 110 In þe nyne and twenty gree arisiþ þilke scharpe sterre þat hat hatte Canicula. c1400 (1840) p. xxiv (MED) Þe seuynty and nyne chapitre. a1475 (Lansd.) (Ph.D. diss., Univ. of Washington) (1965) 2497 By þe nyne hundred ȝere þat Adam was lyvinge here. ?a1475 (a1449) J. Lydgate Kings of Eng. (Harl. 2261) in J. R. Lumby (1882) VIII. 549 (MED) Syre Rychard..lord Scrope..and Syre Thomas Gray..the nyne and twentyest day of Iuyll..were byheded. 1579 W. Fulke Heskins Parl. Repealed in 491 The nine and fourtieth Chapter continueth the same exposition. 1596 E. L. xi. sig. H3 To Cicero, which he receiu'de in sight Vpon the nine and twentith of the same: From England, in a month those letters came. 1602 J. Marston i. sig. B4 By my nine and thirteth seruant (sweete) Thou art in loue. 1619 W. Phillip tr. W. C. Schouten 52 The nine and twentieth, in the morning, Iacoble Maire, Aris Clawson, with Claus Iohnson, Ban, and one of our Pilots went on shore. 1661 P. Jenkyn 73 It is observable, the Moneth of May, Did post unto her Nine and twentieth Day, That day which first gave life unto our KING. 1720 A. Pope in tr. Homer V. xviii. Argt. 1372 The latter part of the nine and twentieth Day, and the Night ensuing take up this Book. 1850 W. G. Simms x. 128 The hatred of Paracoussi Satouriova against mee did still continue, untill that, on the nine and twentieth of August, a lightning from heaven fell within halfe a league of our fort. 1861 Mrs. H. Wood I. i. i. 3 There sat the earl in his library now, in his nine-and-fortieth year, and ruin had not come yet. 1883 E. Arnold 32 Sura the nine and fiftieth: ‘Fear ye God, O true believers!’ C4. Combined with nouns to form adjectives. 1827 P. Cunningham (ed. 2) II. xiii. 299 A nine-feet promenade is amply sufficient. 1648 No. 2. 1 There is not a lying knave nor rascall Royalist shall escape the brush of my nine-foot Twigge. 1697 J. S. 26 A stiff neat Nine-foot Pole you must prepare, Which may in several things repay your care. 1776 G. Semple 66 A nine Foot Pantile-Lath. 1897 ‘P. Warung’ 81 The nine-foot chain before mentioned. 2001 17 May g8/6 In San Francisco, for example, a nine-foot fiberglass Superman turned up. 1894 17 Nov. 7/1 A nine-hole course has been laid out at Gavarnie. 1991 Jan. 80/3 Facilities include a nine-hole golf course and free access to the leisure centre. 1751 T. Smollett IV. xcv. 24 A true-hearted sailor, as sound and strong as a nine inch cable. 1863 C. Kingsley viii. 326 None of it, at least..is cased with nine-inch brick inside and out, and filled up with rubble between the walls. 1992 25 July 26/2 Mary Pugsley, of Tavistock Rifle Club, put 15 shots into a nine-inch bullseye at Bisley yesterday. 1853 R. S. Hawker (1893) 28 There's a nine-knot breeze above. 1896 R. Kipling 146 It paid, I tell you, it paid, When we came with our nine-knot freighters and collared the long-run trade! 1994 (Nexis) 26 June 2 Radar speed traps are being set up by British Waterways..to catch water skiers who break the nine-knot speed limit. 1748 (Royal Soc.) 45 77 It was here determin'd..to make twelve Explosions of the coated Phial, with an Observer placed at the seven Mile-Stone, and another at the nine Mile-Stone. 1780 V. 139 Near the nine-mile stone on the Hounslow-road. 1856 T. De Quincey V. 131 An easy nine-mile walk. 1990 12 July 20/1 The new nine-mile narrow gauge Bure Valley Railway on the old Great Eastern trackbed is due to commence services during July. 1711 No. 4906/2 I had two Nine pound Shots through my Fore~mast. 1844 J. F. Cooper I. ix. 134 The French captain had been nearly cut in two by a nine-pound shot. 1986 H. Dunmore 28 He dreamed of the nine-pound baby rising up for air like a diver. 1794 T. Davis 70 This machine..is called a nine-share plough, or where made with eleven tines, an eleven-share plough. 1837 IX. 96/1 The nine-share plough, or scarifier, has been found very useful in the light soils. 1862 Apr. 169/1 Mrs. Horner leaned over the bulwarks, and awkwardly poising a nine-shilling umbrella, inflicted a merciless punch upon the occupant of the lower locker. 1896 May 280/1 Pew No. 1 was for subscribers of 30s. in one instance, and thus grading downward to No. 6, which contained nine-shilling contributors. 1683 T. Tryon 340 Let your Drink at Meals be no stronger than nine shillings Beer. C5. In parasynthetic adjectives. 1851 C. L. Smith tr. T. Tasso xviii. xlviii Its grand nine-circled stream opaque. the world > space > shape > angularity > [adjective] > abounding in corners > having specific number of corners 1809 W. Irving I. iv. iii. 213 Some dozen huge, mis-shapen, nine cornered dutch oaths. 1856 July 283/1 The poor fellow begged for mercy, interlarding the basting with those huge nine-cornered oaths that even to this day are sometimes heard in that region. 2001 (Nexis) 6 May In this nine-cornered contest, his major opponent is Mr. Kovai Thangam of the TMC. 1839 XV. 84/2 The antennæ..are nine-jointed. 1869 ‘M. Twain’ in 25 (1953) 54 The description of the physical torment due to his efforts to pronounce a certain ‘nine-jointed’ Russian name. 1939 22 462 Palpi nine jointed, one third longer than proboscis, with a protuberance on the middle of the fourth joint bearing a single spine. the world > time > duration > [adjective] > long-lasting or enduring 1600 S. Nicholson sig. F4v Loue is nine-liu'd kill him ne're so much, The wanton Boy reuiueth with a tutch. 1879 J. R. Planché II. i 211 Is the fool nine-lived, That thus he ventures into our dominions? 1999 M. van Walleghen 51 Three whole decades of stray regret and nine-lived alley-cat insouciance. 1861 4 347 I found numerous specimens of a nine-spotted lady-bird (Coccinella novemnotata, Herbst,) under dry cow-dung. 1972 L. A. Swan & C. S. Papp xx. 410 Nine-spotted lady beetle... In California..they are heavy feeders on aphids in alfalfa. ?1614 W. Drummond Song: It was the time in By the swift touches of the nyne-string'd Heauen. 1844 E. B. Browning (1897) 224 Because your scald or gleeman went With seven or nine-stringed instrument Upon his back,—must ours be bent? 1994 Mar. 61/2 You can hear a turn of the century instrument unique to Puerto Rico—the nine-stringed cuatro. 1787 R. Burns (1968) I. 216 Hark, how the nine-tail'd cat she plays! 1820 T. B. Macaulay Radical War Song in (1866) 546 Then, then beneath the nine-tailed cat Shall they who used it writhe. 2000 (Nexis) 24 Nov. (Film section) 45 Royer-Collard brings with him the hellish appurtenances of his trade: sarcophaguslike iron maidens, the nine-tailed scourge. 1584 King James VI & I sig. Piv Nynevoiced mouth. The nyne Muses, whereof Vranie was one. C6. society > leisure > entertainment > pastimes > game > billiards, pool, or snooker > [noun] 1915 5 June 6/5 The nine ball game is on the pocket billiard table, played by a number of cue artists, and the one who pockets the nine ball is the winner. 1976 282/2 The aim is to pocket the nine ball after pocketing the other balls in rotation or in combination shots. 1983 E. McClanahan (1984) vi. 63 They played nine-ball mostly. 2006 (Midwest ed.) 15 Jan. x. 2/1 A tall, balding neighbor who had something that was the envy of neighborhood kids—a pool table—and invited Don and his buddies to play nine-ball. 1771 T. Pennant 325 Armadillo... Nine-banded. 1828 J. Stark I. 133 The Nine-banded Armadillo..body with seven, eight, or nine mobile bands. 1933 8 348/1 The nine-banded armadillo, Dasypus (Tatusia) novemcintus, is of special interest to biologists. 2001 (Nexis) 25 Feb. The animal the microbe grows best in is the nine-banded armadillo, a distant relative of humans if there ever was one. the world > plants > particular plants > trees and shrubs > shrubs > non-British shrubs > [noun] > North-American > nine-bark 1789 J. Morse 461 The more useful trees are..plumb trees, nine bark spice, and leather wood bushes. 1851 J. P. Kennedy (rev. ed.) xiv. 131 Thickets of arrow-wood, nine-bark, and various other shrubs, the growth of this region. 1859 W. Darlington & G. Thurber 120 A very showy ornamental species... Sometimes called ‘Nine-Bark Syringa’. 1949 25 Sept. 111 E/5 Also the effective fall shrub, evergreen Euonymous japonica, the witch hazel, beautybush, privet, ninebark. 1790 3 Science 91 The disease which carried off most of these children,..was general convulsions, or what our nurse-tenders have been long in the habit of calling the nine-day fits, as constantly occuring within the first nine days after birth. 1823 26 Oct. 137/1 They almost all died in convulsions, of what the nurses called nine-days fits, because they came on within nine days after their birth. the world > health and disease > ill health > a disease > disorders associated with age > [noun] > neonatal 1797 M. Underwood I. 175 Such a source of convulsions has been peculiarly exemplified in a disorder where attack being within the first nine days after birth, has been denominated the nine days disease. the world > relative properties > number > specific numbers > nine > [adjective] > nine times as much 1598 J. Florio Nine-fold, nine double. 1746 W. Tans'ur iii. 29 Instrumental Moods... 9/ 8..9 Quavers in a Bar, 6 down, and 3 up.] 1876 1 63 A lively song..in nine-eight time. 1889 G. Grove (1900) IV. 120/1 Nine-eight Time, or Nine Quaver Time..contains three Beats in a Bar, each represented by a dotted Crotchet—or its equivalent, three Quavers. 2001 (Nexis) 27 Apr. t34 There's a particular rhythm in Turkish dancing called karsilama that's in 9/8 time, and if you're not accustomed to it, you find it impossible to dance to. 1862 28 June 413/2 They agreed upon an effort to shorten working time, and fixed upon a nine-hours' day. The phrase includes nine hours' actual work. 1897 13 July 8/5 A nine-hour day is not so long as to be exhausting to a man. 1989 S. Reynolds (BNC) 41 The question of reducing work hours was first raised..in the wake of the nine-hour day movement which had been launched in the building trades [in the 1860s]. 1859 5 Aug. 3/3 It appears that the ‘Conference of the United Building Trades’..is established for the special purpose of carrying the nine hours' movement. 1600 W. Shakespeare ii. i. 98 The nine mens Morris is fild vp with mudde. View more context for this quotation 1865 S. Evans 9 He found his abacus expressly scored For nine-men's morris on an indoor scale. 1987 Nov. 13/2 Nine Men's Morris—or Merrills—has been played..for a millennium. society > leisure > sport > types of sport or game > ball game > ninepins or ten-pins > [noun] 1675 C. Cotton 56 Playing at Nine peggs with such heat That mighty Jupiter did sweat. the world > relative properties > number > geometry > shape or figure > [noun] > two-dimensional > closed curve > circle > passing through other figure 1865 W. T. Brande & G. W. Cox (new ed.) I. 461/2 The circle which passes through the middle points of the sides of a triangle..is referred to by Continental writers as the nine-points circle. 1866 W. H. Besant (title) Note on the Nine-point Circle. 1926 33 213 If the incircle coincides with the nine-point circle, the triangle becomes equilateral and the system degenerates. 2000 (Nexis) 24 Mar. 15 Who can fail to be amazed by the Euler line or the nine-point circle? society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > piece of artillery > [noun] > gun by calibre 1898 R. Kipling in 10 Nov. 5/2 You'd need a nine point two to do that properly. 1917 A. G. Empey xxv. 235 Then a couple of ‘nine point two’ howitzers pulled by immense caterpillar engines. 1937 D. M. Jones vii. 167 No. 3 section inclined a little right where a sequence of 9.2's have done well their work of preparation and cratered a plain passage. society > armed hostility > military equipment > weapon > device for discharging missiles > firearm > piece of artillery > [noun] > guns by weight of shot > of specific weight of shot 1713 29 Dec. 2/1 A Spanish Man of War of 20 Guns, Nine Pounders, Eight Patteraro's, and 216 Men well fitted for War. 1779 H. B. Dudley I. 12 I've seen the field covered with Frenchmen's blood, and made so hot by our hissing nine-pounders—that one might have poach'd an egg in it! 1874 G. Bancroft X. xii. 271 Jones could use only three nine-pounders. 1989 P. O'Brian vii. 211 He put the poker to the touch-hole of the first quarterdeck nine-pounder. the mind > emotion > courage > valour > warlike valour > [noun] > warlike excellence 1663 S. Butler i. ii. 147 The foe, for dread Of your Nine-worthiness, is fled. the world > people > person > person of specific age > [noun] the world > people > person > person of specific age > [adjective] 1828 D. M. Moir xi. 98 We..read away like nine-year-aulds. 1853 C. M. Yonge II. xvii. 281 A long, thin, nine-year old child. 1936 5 415/2 In 1934 a little nine-year-old Negro girl in Chicago was found with an I.Q. of 200. 1985 I. Opie & P. Opie XX. 445 ‘It's really easier with two, cos there's not so much hassle,’ said a nine-year-old. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2022). <  adj.n.eOE |
