nary

[nair-ee]

adjective

Older Use.

1. not any; no; never a.

   nary a sound.

nary

/ ˈnɛərɪ /

adverb

1. dialect,  not; never

   nary a man was left

Word History and Origins

Origin of nary¹

First recorded in 1740–50; variant of ne'er a never a

Word History and Origins

Origin of nary¹

C19: variant of ne'er a never a

Example Sentences

Cassiopeia proved it by using her fingers to do sums on her abacus, and flicked the beads up and down with nary a wince.

Read more on Literature

And though nary a ghost has been sighted — yet — that doesn’t mean I haven’t gotten all the proof I’ve been looking for.

Read more on Salon

Nearly all the performers hailed from the world of worship music; there was nary a nod to what might resonate with people outside white evangelical subculture.

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The stadium, to Epstein’s relief, was filled to the brim with nary an empty seat to be found.

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A silver Cuban link chain draped her neck, fuzzy slippers hugged her feet, her makeup precisely applied and nary a hair out of place — the embodiment of smooth.

Read more on Los Angeles Times