English Explanatory Dictionary

nill

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To be unwilling; will not (+ infinitive).
  2. To be unwilling.
  3. To reject, refuse, negate.
noun
  1. Shining sparks thrown off from melted brass.
  2. Scales of hot iron from the forge.
noun
  1. Synonym of zinc oxide, particularly white forms used in medicine and cosmetics.
name
  1. A surname.

Pronunciation

/nɪl/

Word forms

nill nills nilling nilled nould

Etymology

From Middle English nillen, from Old English nyllan (“to not want”), corresponding to ne + will. Cognate with Old Frisian nelle. Not directly related to Latin nolo, which is an independent construction of the same manner, but the morphemes that compound both verbs are cognates.

Synonyms

zinc oxide particularly white forms used in medicine and cosmetics

Derived words

willy-nilly
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