Words Starting with "N"

N'djamena is the capital city of Chad, commonly used as a proper noun in geopolitical and travel contexts. It is pronounced with a three-syllable stress pattern and a mint of French influence, yielding a soft initial sound and a clear, final -na. In everyday use, it designates a location, administrative center, and cultural hub within Central Africa.

N-Tuple is a noun in math and computer science referring to an ordered collection of N elements, where N is a positive integer. It extends the concept of a pair, triple, or quadruple to any fixed size, and is often used to describe data structures, coordinates, or combinatorial objects. The pronunciation emphasizes the 'N' as a standalone letter and the word 'tuple' with a short 'u' sound.

N.A.S.A. is an acronym for the U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration. It’s commonly used as a noun in professional and media contexts, often pronounced by saying each letter individually in sequence. In everyday speech, some speakers treat it as a word-like sequence, but formal usage retains the initialism form.

N.B. is an abbreviation used in formal writing to mean ‘nota bene,’ signaling that the reader should pay attention to an important note or instruction. It operates as a noun in some contexts when treated as a stand-alone term, often appearing in parentheses or as a textual marker in scholarly or professional documents. In practice, it conveys emphasis rather than introducing new content.

NASA is the U.S. government agency responsible for the nation's civilian space program and aeronautics research. In everyday speech, the acronym is pronounced with the initial stress on the first syllable, yielding a two-syllable pronunciation. The term is treated as a proper noun, often spoken as a single word in casual contexts and as letters in formal contexts (enunciating each letter) when clarity is required.

NATO is a major intergovernmental military alliance formed in 1949, known for collective defense and security coordination among member states. In everyday use, people refer to it by its acronym, with emphasis typically placed on the second and third letters. The term is widely recognized in political and military contexts, as well as journalism and policy discourse.

NBC Sports is a television and digital sports media brand under the NBC umbrella, delivering live events, commentary, and sports-related programming. It commonly appears as a corporate name in broadcast contexts, partners with NBCUniversal properties, and is pronounced as a proper noun sequence of the initials “NBC” followed by the word “Sports.” The brand name is used in professional media, marketing, and sponsorship communications.

NFL is an acronym used as a verb in informal contexts, often meaning to criticize or dismiss something in a blunt, league-wide sense, or more rarely, to crave or engage with American football culture as if ‘to NFL’ were a verb. In expert circles, this usage is highly niche and nonstandard; common practice favors noun/abbr. usage. Context usually makes the intended meaning clear, but usage as a verb remains uncommon and regionally variable.

NGU is a verb used in specialized or niche contexts, often as an acronym-based or domain-specific term. In practice, it denotes a targeted action within a particular field and may appear in technical documents or discussions. The meaning is highly context-dependent and typically understood within its professional community. Pronunciation guidance treats the string as a sequence of letters or a coined term rather than a standard English verb.

NIO is a verb meaning to move to a new or higher level of involvement, capability, or status, often used in business or gaming contexts to denote upgrading or advancing. It implies intentional progress or ascent beyond current limits, sometimes with a sense of strategic growth or improvement. The term is contemporary and frequently appears with formal or semi-formal register.

A nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) used to relieve pain and inflammation. Nabumetone is a prodrug that is metabolized in the liver to its active form, providing analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects with a relatively favorable GI profile compared with some NSAIDs. It is typically prescribed for conditions like arthritis and other inflammatory pain states.

Nacelle is a streamlined enclosure on an aircraft or ship that houses equipment such as a turbine, engine, or sensor. It serves to protect and contain machinery while minimizing drag or water intrusion, and is engineered for maintenance access and airflow efficiency. The term is often used in aerospace and nautical contexts.

Nachos is a plural noun referring to tortilla chips topped or served with melted cheese and various accompaniments. The term is often used to describe a dish originated in Mexican-American cuisine and commonly enjoyed as a snack or shared appetizer. The word itself is now widely recognized in English-speaking contexts as a food item rather than a proper name.

Nachtmusik is a German noun referring to a nocturnal musical piece or performance, typically associated with orchestral or stage works that evoke night imagery. The term blends Nacht (night) and Musik (music), and is used in classical contexts as well as descriptive writing about night-time concerts or moods. It is pronounced with German phonology and emphasizes a somber, evocative tone.

Nacirema is a proper noun used primarily in anthropological satire to refer to American culture as viewed from an outsider’s perspective; it’s most often encountered in discussions of cultural critique and caricature. The term, coined in the 20th century, is a reversal spelling of 'American' and is typically used to analyze consumer rituals and daily habits. Pronunciation emphasizes a soft initial syllable and a clear final vowel, with stress on the second syllable.

Nacogdoches is a proper noun referring to a city in eastern Texas, known for its history and university. It’s pronounced with a multi-syllabic, stress-typical American pattern, often challenging for non-native speakers due to unfamiliar consonant clusters and vowel qualities. The term’s origin traces to Native American (Caddo) language roots, shaping its distinctive pronunciation and spelling.

Nacre is a hard, iridescent material that forms the inner layer of some mollusk shells, especially pearls. It has a pearly, lustrous quality and is composed of microscopic platelets of aragonite or calcite. The term also describes a mother-of-pearl-like material used ornamentally and in jewelry. (2-4 sentences, ~55 words)

Nader is a proper noun used as a surname or given name. It typically refers to a person's last name in various cultures, and can denote a notable individual or family name without carrying inherent meaning beyond the identifier itself. In some contexts it may appear in media or biographical references as a standard personal name.

Nader Shah is a historical name, best known as a prominent 18th-century Persian ruler who founded the Afsharid dynasty. In modern usage, the phrase may appear in historical discussions or biographies. It is typically treated as a proper noun; in Persian contexts it can indicate a named individual rather than a verb, but the string is occasionally encountered in academic prose when referring to his actions or campaigns.

Nadia Comaneci is a Romanian former artistic gymnast who scored the first perfect 10 in the Olympic Games. Her name is used globally to symbolize flawless performance in gymnastics and sports. The pronunciation challenge lies in the Romanian surname and the distinctive Romanian given name, often mis-sounded by non-native speakers.

Nadine is a female given name of French origin that has entered English usage. It is typically pronounced with two syllables and a stress on the second syllable, as in Na-DEEN. The name evokes a personal identity rather than a common noun, and it appears in various cultural contexts, sometimes as a first name in fiction or real-life individuals. It is not tied to a generic object or action beyond its use as a proper name.

Nadir is the point in the sky or celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith; in broader use it denotes the lowest point or most unsuccessful moment. It connotes a peak of downward trajectory or lowest efficiency, often used metaphorically to describe performance or fortunes. Two or three concise sentences explain the concept without extraneous detail.

Naegleria fowleri is a rare free-living amoeba known for causing primary amoebic meningoencephalitis when it contaminates nasal passages. The name combines a genus, Naegleria, with the species epithet fowleri, named after the US scientist Malcolm Weld Naegler and colleague Fowler. In medical contexts, it is pronounced as a proper noun compound, with attention to the distinct surname-like fow-ler-i segments.

Naevose is an adjective describing something marked by or relating to a nascent or newest phase, often implying novelty or embryonic development. It conveys a sense of fresh emergence and potential, used in formal or technical contexts to describe ideas, conditions, or states that are just beginning to appear or take shape.