N.A. also n/a CONVENTION N.A. is a written abbreviation for not applicable or not available .
naan /nɑː n/ (naans ) also nan N‑VAR Naan or naan bread is a type of bread that comes in a large, round, flat piece and is usually eaten with Indian food.
nab /næ b/ (nabs , nabbing , nabbed ) VERB If people in authority such as the police nab someone who they think has done something wrong, they catch them or arrest them. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] He killed 12 people before the authorities finally nabbed him. □ [get V -ed] Soon he was back in the armed robbery business. Again, he got nabbed.
na|dir /ne I d I ə r , [AM ] -dər/
1 N‑SING [usu with poss] The nadir of something such as someone's career or the history of an organization is its worst time. [LITERARY ] □ [+ of ] 1945 to 1946 was the nadir of Truman's presidency.
2 N‑SING In astronomy, the nadir is the point at which the sun or moon is directly below you, on the other side of the earth. Compare zenith . [TECHNICAL ]
naff /næ f/ (naffer , naffest ) ADJ If you say that something is naff , you mean it is very unfashionable or unsophisticated. [BRIT , INFORMAL ] □ The music's really naff. □ …naff 'his and hers' matching outfits.
nag /næ g/ (nags , nagging , nagged )
1 VERB If someone nags you, they keep asking you to do something you have not done yet or do not want to do. [DISAPPROVAL ] □ [V n] The more Sarah nagged her, the more stubborn Cissie became. □ [V n to-inf] My girlfriend nagged me to cut my hair. □ [V n + about ] She had stopped nagging him about never being home. □ [V n + into ] …children nagging their parents into buying things. [Also V ] ● N‑COUNT A nag is someone who nags. □ [+ about ] Aunt Molly is a nag about regular meals. ● nag|ging N‑UNCOUNT □ Her endless nagging drove him away from home.
2 VERB If something such as a doubt or worry nags at you, or nags you, it keeps worrying you. □ [V + at ] He could be wrong about her. The feeling nagged at him. □ [V n] …the anxiety that had nagged Amy all through lunch. □ [V ] Something was nagging in the back of his mind.
nag|ging /næ g I ŋ/
1 ADJ [ADJ n] A nagging pain is not very severe but is difficult to cure. □ He complained of a nagging pain between his shoulder blades.
2 → see also nag
nail /ne I l/ (nails , nailing , nailed )
1 N‑COUNT A nail is a thin piece of metal with one pointed end and one flat end. You hit the flat end with a hammer in order to push the nail into something such as a wall. □ A mirror hung on a nail above the washstand.
2 VERB If you nail something somewhere, you fix it there using one or more nails. □ [V n prep/adv] Frank put the first plank down and nailed it in place. □ [V n with adj] They nail shut the front door.
3 N‑COUNT Your nails are the thin hard parts that grow at the ends of your fingers and toes. □ Keep your nails short and your hands clean.
4 VERB To nail someone means to catch them and prove that they have been breaking the law. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n + for ] The prosecution still managed to nail him for robberies at the homes of leading industrialists.
5 VERB If you nail something, you do it extremely well or successfully. [INFORMAL ] □ [V n] She had nailed the art of making us laugh. □ [V it ] He tried, but I'm not sure he totally nailed it.
6 PHRASE If you say that someone is as hard as nails , you mean that they are extremely tough and aggressive, either physically or in their attitude towards other people or other situations. □ He's a shrewd businessman and hard as nails.
7 PHRASE If you say that someone has hit the nail on the head , you think they are exactly right about something. □ 'I think it would civilize people if they had decent conditions.'—'I think you've hit the nail on the head.'
8 a nail in the coffin → see coffin
9 to fight tooth and nail → see tooth
▸ nail down
1 PHRASAL VERB If you nail down something unknown or uncertain, you find out exactly what it is. □ [V P n] It would be useful if you could nail down the source of this tension. [Also V n P ]
2 PHRASAL VERB If you nail down an agreement, you manage to reach a firm agreement with a definite result. □ [V P n] The two leaders met to try to nail down the elusive accord. [Also V n P ]
nai l-biting ADJ If you describe something such as a story or a sports match as nail-biting , you mean that it makes you feel very excited or nervous because you do not know how it is going to end. □ He had a perfect, nail-biting climax to his story.
nai l bomb (nail bombs ) N‑COUNT A nail bomb is a bomb which contains nails that are intended to cause a lot of damage and injury when the bomb goes off.
nai l brush (nail brushes ) also nailbrush N‑COUNT A nail brush is a small brush that you use to clean your nails when washing your hands.
nai l file (nail files ) also nailfile N‑COUNT A nail file is a small strip of rough metal or card that you rub across the ends of your nails to shorten them or shape them.
nai l pol|ish /ne I l pɒl I ʃ/ (nail polishes ) N‑VAR Nail polish is a thick liquid that women paint on their nails.