Chapter Nickar nut to Night of N by Webster's Dictionary (1913 Edition)

Nickar nut to Night

Nickar nut
(Nick"ar nut` Nick"ar tree`) . (Bot.) Same as Nicker nut, Nicker tree.

Nickel
(Nick"el) n. [G., fr. Sw. nickel, abbrev. from Sw. kopparnickel copper-nickel, a name given in derision, as it was thought to be a base ore of copper. The origin of the second part of the word is uncertain. Cf. Kupfer-nickel, Copper-nickel.]

1. (Chem.) A bright silver-white metallic element. It is of the iron group, and is hard, malleable, and ductile. It occurs combined with sulphur in millerite, with arsenic in the mineral niccolite, and with arsenic and sulphur in nickel glance. Symbol Ni. Atomic weight 58.6.

On account of its permanence in air and inertness to oxidation, it is used in the smaller coins, for plating iron, brass, etc., for chemical apparatus, and in certain alloys, as german silver. It is magnetic, and is very frequently accompanied by cobalt, both being found in meteoric iron.

2. A small coin made of or containing nickel; esp., a five-cent piece. [Colloq. U.S.]

Nickel silver, an alloy of nickel, copper, and zinc; — usually called german silver; called also argentan.

Nickelic
(Nick*el"ic) a. (Chem.) Pertaining to, or containing, nickel; specifically, designating compounds in which, as contrasted with the nickelous compounds, the metal has a higher valence; as nickelic oxide.

Nickeliferous
(Nick`el*if"er*ous) a. [Nickel + -ferous.] Containing nickel; as, nickelferous iron.

Nickeline
(Nick"el*ine) n.

1. (Chem.) An alloy of nickel, a variety of German silver.

2. (Min.) Niccolite.

Nickelous
(Nick"el*ous) a. (Chem.) Of, pertaining to, or designating, those compounds of nickel in which, as contrasted with the nickelic compounds, the metal has a lower valence; as, nickelous oxide. Frankland.

Nicker
(Nick"er) n. [From Nick, v. t.]

1. One of the night brawlers of London formerly noted for breaking windows with half- pence. [Cant] Arbuthnot.

2. The cutting lip which projects downward at the edge of a boring bit and cuts a circular groove in the wood to limit the size of the hole that is bored.

Nicker nut
(Nick"er nut`) A rounded seed, rather smaller than a nutmeg, having a hard smooth shell, and a yellowish or bluish color. The seeds grow in the prickly pods of tropical, woody climbers of the genus Cæsalpinia. C. Bonduc has yellowish seeds; C. Bonducella, bluish gray. [Spelt also neckar nut, nickar nut.]

Nicker tree
(Nick"er tree`) (Bot.) The plant producing nicker nuts. [Written also neckar tree and nickar tree.]

Nicking
(Nick"ing), n. [From Nick, v. t.] (Coal Mining) (a) The cutting made by the hewer at the side of the face. (b) pl. Small coal produced in making the nicking.

Nickle
(Nic"kle) n. (Zoöl.) The European woodpecker, or yaffle; — called also nicker pecker.

Nicknack
(Nick"nack`) n. See Knickknack.

Nicknackery
(Nick"nack`er*y) n. See Knickknackery.