nigh

nigh
    adv 1: near in time or place or relationship; "as the wedding
           day drew near"; "stood near the door"; "don't shoot until
           they come near"; "getting near to the true explanation";
           "her mother is always near"; "The end draws nigh"; "the
           bullet didn't come close"; "don't get too close to the
           fire" [syn: {near}, {nigh}, {close}]
    2: (of actions or states) slightly short of or not quite
       accomplished; all but; "the job is (just) about done"; "the
       baby was almost asleep when the alarm sounded"; "we're almost
       finished"; "the car all but ran her down"; "he nearly
       fainted"; "talked for nigh onto 2 hours"; "the recording is
       well-nigh perfect"; "virtually all the parties signed the
       contract"; "I was near exhausted by the run"; "most everyone
       agrees" [syn: {about}, {almost}, {most}, {nearly}, {near},
       {nigh}, {virtually}, {well-nigh}]
    adj 1: not far distant in time or space or degree or
           circumstances; "near neighbors"; "in the near future";
           "they are near equals"; "his nearest approach to
           success"; "a very near thing"; "a near hit by the bomb";
           "she was near tears"; "she was close to tears"; "had a
           close call" [syn: {near}, {close}, {nigh}] [ant: {far}]
    2: being on the left side; "the near or nigh horse is the one on
       the left"; "the animal's left side is its near or nigh side"
       [syn: {near(a)}, {nigh(a)}]
    

Nigh \Nigh\, adv. [AS. ne['a]h, n[=e]h. See {Nigh}, a.]
   1. In a situation near in place or time, or in the course of
      events; near.
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            He was sick, nigh unto death.         --Phil. ii.
                                                  27.
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            He drew not nigh unheard; the angel bright,
            Ere he drew nigh, his radiant visage turned.
                                                  --Milton.
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   2. Almost; nearly; as, he was nigh dead.
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Nigh \Nigh\, prep.
   Near to; not remote or distant from. "was not this nigh
   shore?" --Shak.
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Nigh \Nigh\, v. t. & i.
   To draw nigh (to); to approach; to come near. [Obs.] --Wyclif
   (Matt. iii. 2).
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Nigh \Nigh\ (n[imac]), a. [Compar. {Nigher} (n[imac]"[~e]r);
   superl. {Nighest}, or {Next} (n[e^]kst).] [OE. nigh, neigh,
   neih, AS. ne['a]h, n[=e]h; akin to D. na, adv., OS. n[=a]h,
   a., OHG. n[=a]h, G. nah, a., nach to, after, Icel. n[=a] (in
   comp.) nigh, Goth. n[=e]hw, n[=e]hwa, adv., nigh. Cf. {Near},
   {Neighbor}, {Next}.]
   1. Not distant or remote in place or time; near.
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            The loud tumult shows the battle nigh. --Prior.
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   2. Not remote in degree, kindred, circumstances, etc.;
      closely allied; intimate. "Nigh kinsmen." --Knolles.
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            Ye . . . are made nigh by the blood of Christ.
                                                  --Eph. ii. 13.
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   Syn: Near; close; adjacent; contiguous; present; neighboring.
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NIGHT. That space of time during which the sun is below the horizon of the 
earth, except, that short space which precedes its rising and follows its 
setting, during which, by its light, the countenance of a man may be 
discerned. I Hale, P. C. 550; 3 Inst. 63; 4 Bl. Com. 224; 1 Hawk. P. C. 101; 
3 Chit. Cr. Law, 1093; 2 Leach, 710; Bac. Ab. Burglary, D; 2 East, P. C. 
509; 2 Russ. Cr. 32; Rosc. Cr. Ev. 278; 7 Dane's Ab. 134. 
    

96 Moby Thesaurus words for "nigh":
      about, all but, almost, along toward, approach, approaching,
      approximate, approximating, arm-in-arm, around, as good as, aside,
      at close quarters, at hand, at next hand, beside, bordering on,
      burning, by, cheek-by-jowl, circa, close, close about,
      close at hand, close by, close to, close upon, closely, come near,
      converge, counterclockwise, draw near, draw nigh, fast by,
      hand-in-hand, hard, hard by, hard on, hereabout, hereabouts, hot,
      immediate, in spitting distance, intimate, just about, larboard,
      left, left-hand, left-wing, left-wingish, levorotatory, liberal,
      near, near at hand, near the mark, near to, near upon, nearabout,
      nearabouts, nearby, nearing, nearish, nearly, next door to,
      nigh about, nighhand, nighish, not far, not far from, not quite,
      only a step, port, pretty near, propinque, proximal, proximate,
      radical, round, side-by-side, sinister, sinistral,
      sinistrocerebral, sinistrocular, sinistrogyrate, sinistrorse,
      thereabout, thereabouts, verging on, verging upon, vicinal, warm,
      well-nigh, within call, within earshot, within hearing,
      within reach