nosey

[noh-zee]

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adjective, nos·i·er, nos·i·est.

nosy.

nosy

or nos·ey

[noh-zee]

adjective, nos·i·er, nos·i·est.

unduly curious about the affairs of others; prying; meddlesome.

Origin of nosy

First recorded in 1880–85; nose + -y¹

Related formsnos·i·ly, adverbnos·i·ness, noun

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for nosey

spicy, bitter, poignant, piquant, aromatic, peppery, sour, salty, tangy, sharp, acid, acrid, zesty, hot, racy, rich, seasoned, snappy, stinking, strong

Examples from the Web for nosey

Historical Examples of nosey

Nosey Murphy hesitated and looked to the Maltese Cockney for counsel.
The Mutiny of the Elsinore
Jack London
Remember that fight he had with Nosey, last winter he was with Bashford?
Pippin; A Wandering Flame
Laura E. Richards
Why should not Nosey Bashford like to watch her as well as you?
Pippin; A Wandering Flame
Laura E. Richards
I'd broke Nosey's beak for him long before that, fightin' when we was kids.
Pippin; A Wandering Flame
Laura E. Richards
You are too nosey and you talk too damn much with your mouth!
Those Times And These
Irvin S. Cobb

British Dictionary definitions for nosey

nosey

adjective

a variant spelling of nosy

nosy

nosey

adjective nosier or nosiest

informal prying or inquisitive

Derived Formsnosily, adverbnosiness, noun

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for nosey

adj.

see nosy.

nosy

adj.

also nosey, 1610s, "having a prominent nose," from nose (n.) + -y (2). Earlier in this sense was nasee (mid-14c.), from Anglo-French, from Old French nasé, ultimately from Latin nasus "nose." Sense of "inquisitive" first recorded 1882. Nosey Parker as a name for an inquisitive person is from 1907.