NOU
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In the antient Roman Militia, Nuvicii, or Novitti, were the young raw Soldiers, diftinguifhed by this Appellation from the Veterans. See Veteran.
In the antient Orders of Knighthood, there were Novices, or Clerks in Arms, who went thro a kind of Apprenticefhip e'er they were admitted Knights. See Knight.
Novice is particularly ufed in Monasteries for a Religi- ous yet in his, or her Year of Probation, and who has not made the Vows. See Noviciate.
In fome Convents the Subprior has the Direction of the Novices. In Nunneries, the Novices wear a white Veil j the reft a black one.
A Novice is notefteemed dead in Law, but is capable of Inheriting till the time of actual Profeffion 5 nor can his Benefices be given away, during the Year of Probation, without his confent.
The Council of Trent prohibits a. Novice from affigning over his Benefices till two Months before the Expiration of his Year of Probation ; and he may even refume them if the Profeffion be null,
A Novice is not allow'd to make any Donation to his Superior, by reafon of the Dependance he is under.
Novices may either quit the Convent during their No- viciate, or may be turn 'd off by the Convent.
NOVICIATE, a Year of Probation, appointed for the Trial of Religious, whether or no they have a Vocation, and the neceffary Qualities for living in the Rule j the Obfervation whereof they are to bind themfelves to by Vow. See Probation .
The Noviciate lafts a Year at leaft ; in fome Houfes more. 'Tis eflcem'd the Bed of the Civil Death of a Novice, who expires to the World by Profcffion. See Vow and Pro- fession.
Noviciate isalfo ufed for the Houfes, or Places where Novices are initructed.
In this fenfe, the Noviciate is frequently a Cloifler fepa- rated from the grand Dormitory.
NOUN, Nomen, in Grammar, a Name, or a Word that ex- prefTes the Subject fpoke of 5 or expreffes a Subject wheteof fomething is, or may be, affirmed j as Man, Food, Whitenefs t Henry, ££c. See Word and Name.
A Noun, therefore, in Language, anfwers to an Idea in Logic. See Idea.
The generality of Subjects fpoke of have particular lSJames 5 yet there are others, which, without being attached to the fame particular Subject, are yet real Nouns.
Thus, befide the particular Name, which each Perfon tears, and whereby others denote him, he gives himfelf another when he fpeaks of himfelf , as I and My Self.
'Tis only the more particular Names that in Grammar have retain'd the Quality of Nouns 5 the more general ones are call'd Pronouns. See Pronoun.
Nouns, again, are to be view'd in another Light, viz. as divided into Nouns Sabffantive, and Nouns AdjeBive.
They are call'd Suhfianthes when the Objects they de- fign areconiider'd fimply, in themfelves, and without any regard to their Qualities. See Substantive.
They are call'd JdjeBives when their Objects are con- fider'd as clothed with any Qualities. See Adjective.
Thus, when I fay fimply the Heart, the word Heart is call'd a Noun Subjiantive j inafmuch as it does not exprefs any of its Qualities : But if 1 fay, the generous Heart, or the perfidious Heart, I thenconfider the Heart asaccompa- nied with the Quality generous, or the Quality perfidious. For this reafon, the Words generous and perfidious are call'd Nouns AdjeSives, becaufe they add a Quality to the Object.
But in effect the Object, is alone defign'd by the Nouns Sabftantfoes ; which in this view are alone the proper Nouns.
AdjeSives, at bottom, are only Modificatives of Nouns ; thoin one view they may be conlider'd as Nouns 5 viz. as they don't fo much reprefent a Quality or Circumftance of the Object, as the Object itfelf, clothed with that Quality or Circumilance. Nor mud it be omitted, that a Noun Adjefltve frequently becomes a Subftantive : For as its nature is to exprefs the Quality of an Object, if that Qua- lity happen to be the Object itfelf fpoke of, then, accor- ding to our fir ft Definition, it becomes a Subftantive.
Thus, if I lay a good Intention, the word good is here an AdjeBive, reprefenting the Intention as clothed with the Quality of Goodnefs 5 butif I fay theGood is to be choftn, 'tis evident that Good is here the Subject fpoke of, and of confequence is a Nomt Subftantive. Nor are there Cafes wanting wherein Nouns Subjiantive become AdjeBives.
'Tis true, in the common ufe of Grammar, Nouns that are really AdjeBives, are not reckon 'd as fuch 5 none being efteem'd as fuch, butthofe which without any, or at lead any confiderable change in their Inflexion and Termination, are join'd indifferently to Nouns Subfrmtives of different Genders.
Nouns are again divided into Prefer and Appellative* Nouns Proper die thofe which exprefs a particular Thing or Perfon, fo as to diflinguifti it from all other Things of the fame Kind, as Socrates. See Proper.
Nouns Appellative, are thofe common to feveral Indivi- dualsof the fame Kind, as Man t Angel, &c. See Appel- lative.
NOURISHMENT, fee Nutrition.
NOWED, Nouk, i. e. Knotted, in Heraldry, is applied to the Tails of fuch Creatures as are very long, and fume- times reprefented in Coat-Armour as if tied up in a Knot. _ NUBECULA, littleCloud, in Medicine, a Term fome- times ufed for a Difeafe in the Eye, wherein Objects ap- pear as thro a Cloud, or Mift.
The Nubecula feems to arife from certain grofs Particles detain'd in the Pores of the Cornea, or fwimming in the aqueous Humour, and thus intercepting the Rays of Light.
Nubecula is alfo ufed for a Matter, in form ofa Cloud, fufpended in the middle of the Urine. This they fome- times alfo call Cnaorema. See Urine.
NUCHA, the hinder Part, or Nape of the Neck 5 call'd zdfoCervix. See Cervix.
NUCHTHEMERON, fee Day.
NUCIFEROUS, fromX«.v, a Nut, and fero, to bear 5 Botanilis call allTrees thus, which bear Nuts.
NUCKIANJE GlanduU, in Anatomy, a Number of fraall Glands iimate in thar part of the Skull wherein the Orbits or the Eyes are, between the abducent Mufcle of theE\c, and the upper part of the Os Jugate. See Gland and Cranium.
They were thus denominated from their Inventor Dr. Nuck.
The fame Author gave his Name to a Salivary Duct, D i<H us Nuckiamis. See Salivary, l$c.
NUCLEUS, a Latin Word, literally denoting the Ker- nelofa Nut, or Stone-Fruit $ or, more ftrictly the edible Part contained within theSkin of the Kernel. See Fruit.
Botanilis ufe it in a larger fenfe, for any Fruit or Seed contained within a Husk orShell.
Hcvelius, and fome other Aftronomers, ufe the Word Nucleus for the Body of a Comet, which others call its Head, in contradistinction to its Tail, or Beard. See Comet.
Some alfo apply the Term Nucleus to the Central-Parts of the Earth, and other Planets ; as fuppofing them to be loofefrom the exterior Part, which they confider as a Cortex orShell. See Magnetism.
Nucleus, in Architecture, is the middle Part of the Flooring of the Antients 3 confiding of Cement which they put betwixt a Lay, or Bed of Pebbles, cemented with Mortar made of Lime and Sand.
NUDE Contraff, Nudum PaBum, a bare Contract, or Promife of a Thing without any Confideration : Ex quo, fay the Lawyers, non oritur aBio. See Contract and Covenant.
Nude Matter, fee Matter.
NUDITIES, in Painting, and Sculpture, thofe Parts of a human Figure not cover'd with any Drapery 5 or thofe Parts where the Carnations appear. SeeCARNATiON.
NUEL, or rather Newel of a Stair-Cafe, feeNEWELand
STAIR-C'fl/e.
NULLITY, the Quality of a thing null, i, e. void, and of no effect ; by reafon of fomething contrary to Law, to CuHom, or to Form.
There are two kinds of Nullities to invalidate a Contract Title, Ifc. viz. de faBo, and de jure. The former where the thing commences Null ipfofaBo, as foon as the thing is proved : In the latter, the Act does not immediately become Null, but a handle is given thereby to have it in- tirely annulled orfetafide. See De. Facto,££c.
NUMBER, in Arithmetic, aColleaion, or Affemblage of feveral Units. See Unit.
Stev'mus chufes to define Number to be that whereby the Quantity of any thing is exprefs'd. Agreeably to which, Sir /. Newton conceives Number to confift, not in a Multi- tude of Units, as Euclid defines it, but in the abftract Ratio ofa Quantity of any kind to another Quantity of the fame kind which is accounted as Unity. And on this view he divides Number into three Kinds, viz. Integers, FraBions, anduSW*. See each under iti proper Article, Integer, Fraction, andSuRD.
mifius defines Number to be fomething which refers to Unity as one right Line refers to another. Thus, affuming a right Line for Unity, a Number may likewife be expreffed by a right Line.
A lefs general Definition of Number, that Author thinks won't comprehend the feveral kinds of whole Numbers, Fractions, Rationals, and Surds.
The Schoolmen, keeping to Euclid's Definition, hold Number to confift of Matter and Form: The Matter is the things pumber'd ; e. gr. Coins ; The Form, the Idea
whereby
