Nös

Old Norse Dictionary - nös

Meaning of Old Norse word "nös" (or nǫs) in English.

As defined by the Cleasby & Vigfusson Old Norse to English dictionary:

nös Old Norse word can mean:

nös (nǫs): f., pl. nasar, mod. nasir; an s has been dropped, as may be seen from snös, berg-snös (q. v.), as also from Dan. snuse = to smell; [cp. Engl. nose; Germ. nase; Lat. nasus and nares]:—the nostrils, the nose as the organ of smelling, also of the front of the nose; nasar þessa líkams skyldu vera erchidjáknar, þeir skyldu þefja ok ilma allan sætleik, Anecd.; opnar eru nasarnar, Nj. 154; eldar brenna ór augum hans ok nösum, Edda 41; svá at blóð hrjóti ór munni eðr nösum, Grág. ii. 11; bregða e-u fyrir nasar e-m, to put it before one’s nose, Korm. 34; setja hnefa á nasar e-m, Ld. 36; höggit kom á nasir honum ok brotnaði nefit, Fms. iii. 186; fölr um nasar, pale-nebbed, Alm. 2; taka fyrir nasar e-m, Fs. 141; draga nasir at e-u, to snuffle, smell at a thing, Ísl. ii. 136; stinga nösum í feld, to cover the face in one’s cloak, Sighvat; stinga nösum niðr, to bite the dust, Fms. iii. 189; ef herra þinn lýkr nösum, has his nostrils shut, ceases to breathe, dies, Str. 27; áðr en ek lýk nösum, Þórð. 31 new Ed.; þér mun verða annat eins áðr en lýkr nösum, thy nostrils will be closed before that, a ditty, see the remarks to nábjargir; blóð-nasar, bleeding at the nose; ríða kross í nasar ok eyru ok í hjarsa, n. G. l. i. 339:—in sing. only of one of the nostrils, upp í aðra nösina; það er ekki upp í hálfa nös á ketti, it will not fill the half of the nostril of a cat = it is nothing.

nös (nǫs): II. metaph. of the beak of a ship; stögin festi á höfði skipsins ok tók af nasarnar, Fms. x. 135, v. l.

nös (nǫs): COMPDS: nasalæti, nasavit.

Orthography: The Cleasby & Vigfusson book used letter ö to represent the original Old Norse vowel ǫ. Therefore, nös may be more accurately written as nǫs.

Possible runic inscription in Younger Futhark:ᚾᚢᛋ
Younger Futhark runes were used from 8th to 12th centuries in Scandinavia and their overseas settlements

Abbreviations used:

cp.: compare.

Dan.: Danish.

Engl.: English.

f.: feminine.

Germ.: German.

gl.: glossary.

l.: line.

L.: Linnæus.

Lat.: Latin.

m.: masculine.

mod.: modern.

n.: neuter.

pl.: plural.

q. v.: quod vide.

sing.: singular.

v.: vide.

metaph.: metaphorical, metaphorically.

v. l.: varia lectio.

Works & Authors cited:

Alm.: Alvís-mál. (A. I.)

Anecd.: Anecdoton. (H. II.)

Edda: Edda. (C. I.)

Fms.: Fornmanna Sögur. (E. I.)

Fs.: Forn-sögur. (D. II.)

Grág.: Grágás. (B. I.)

Korm.: Kormaks Saga. (D. II.)

Ld.: Laxdæla Saga. (D. II.)

N. G. L.: Norges Gamle Love. (B. II.)

Nj.: Njála. (D. II.)

Str.: Strengleikar. (G. II.)

Þórð.: Þórðar Saga hreðu. (D. V.)

➞ See all works cited in the dictionary

Also available in related dictionaries:

This headword also appears in dictionaries of other languages descending from Old Norse.