nuisance
[ noo-suh ns, nyoo- ]
/ ˈnu səns, ˈnyu- /
noun
an obnoxious or annoying person, thing, condition, practice, etc.: a monthly meeting that was more nuisance than pleasure.
Law. something offensive or annoying to individuals or to the community, especially in violation of their legal rights.
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Origin of nuisance
1375–1425; late Middle English nu(i)sa(u)nce < Anglo-French, equivalent to nuis(er) to harm (≪ Latin nocēre) + -ance -ance
Words nearby nuisance
nugatory, nuggar, nugget, nuggety, nuggie, nuisance, nuisance ground, nuisance tax, nuits-saint-georges, nuj, nuke
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
Example sentences from the Web for nuisance
British Dictionary definitions for nuisance
nuisance
/ (ˈnjuːsəns) /
noun
- a person or thing that causes annoyance or bother
- (as modifier)nuisance calls
law something unauthorized that is obnoxious or injurious to the community at large (public nuisance) or to an individual, esp in relation to his ownership or occupation of property (private nuisance)
nuisance value the usefulness of a person's or thing's capacity to cause difficulties or irritation
Word Origin for nuisance
C15: via Old French from nuire to injure, from Latin nocēre
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Idioms and Phrases with nuisance
nuisance
see make a nuisance of oneself.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.