▪ I. nesh, a. (and adv.) Now dial.
(nɛʃ)
Forms: α. 1 hnesce, (hnysce, hnisce; nesc, næsc), 2 nexce, neche, 3–5 nesche, nesshe, 4 ness(ss)e, 4–5 nessche, 5–6 neshe; 4–5 nesch, ness(h, 5– nesh. β. 3 neys(se, 4– 5 neische, -sshe, neysshe, (5 -ssche, neyshe), 4 neisch, -ssh, 5 neysch(e, naysch(e, 9 dial. naish, U.S. dial. nish. γ. 5 nassh(e, 6 Sc. nasche, 7, 9 nash, 8 gnash.
[OE. hnesce, = Du. (16th c.) nesch, nisch soft (of eggs), damp, sodden, foolish, Goth. hnasqus soft, tender; the ultimate etym. is unknown.]
1. a. Soft in texture or consistency; yielding easily to pressure or force; in later use esp. tender, succulent, juicy.
| α c 888 K. ælfred Boeth. xxxiii. §5 Þæt hnesce & flowende wæter. c 950 Lindisf. Gosp. Matt. xi. 8 Mið hnescum [Rushw. næscum] ᵹerelum ᵹescirped. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. I. 96 Ðeos wyrt..bið hnesceum leafum. Ibid. III. 134 Syle hym etan hnesce æᵹere. c 1200 Ormin 995 Smeredd wel wiþþ elesæw & makedd fatt & nesshe. a 1225 Ancr. R. 134 Nest is herd..wiðuten, & wiðinnen nesche & softe. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 75/141 Þe staf wende into þe marbreston, ase it were in nesche sonde. 1340 Hampole Pr. Consc. 614 Mar filthe es nane, hard ne nesshe, Þan es þat comes fra a mans flesshe. c 1400 tr. Secreta Secret., Gov. Lordsh. 73 Eyren..nesshe to be suppyd. c 1460 J. Russell Bk. Nurture 986 Lett hym go to bed, but looke it be soote & nesche. 1546 T. Phaer Bk. Childr. (1553) R v, The sinues of a child be verye neshe and tender. 1579 Langham Gard. Health (1633) 529 Bake it hard, and apply it till it wax nesh. 1788 Crowe Lewesdon Hill 30 The darker fir, light ash, and the nesh tops Of the young hazel. 1802 Fosbrooke Econ. Monastic Life i. vii, Their feathery leaves where nesh Acacias spread. a 1834 R. Surtees in G. Taylor Mem. (Surtees) 301 The nesh hazles, bending in the blast. 1844 W. Barnes Poems Rur. Life Gloss. s.v., This meat is nesh. 1883– in various dialects (chiefly of grass or meat, but also of coal, steel, etc.). 1915 R. C. Thompson Pilgr. Scrip 71 The road from the bridge is like an English lane with blackberry hedgerows..and a nesh track for a morning gallop. |
| Comb. 1864 W. Barnes in Macm. Mag. Oct. 477 The nesh-bleäded grass, By the young apple-trees. |
| β c 1300 Havelok 217 The blod ran of his fleys, Þat tendre was, and swiþe neys. 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) IV. 429 Harde þinges beeþ bettre wiþstonde wiþ nesche [v.r. naysche] þinges þan with hard. c 1430 Lydg. Min. Poems (Percy Soc.) 195 Fyr..Makith hard thyng neisshe and..Neisshe thyng hard. 1893 [see γ]. |
| Comb. 1460–70 Bk. Quintessence ii. 23 Fleisch of a cok, neysch soden and sotilly brayed. |
| γ 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. xix. liii. 894 Certen moysture cometh at endes of certeyne wode.., as Colophonia and Nassh pitche. 1686 Plot Staffordsh. 148 The coal of the upper wallings being generally nasher; i.e. softer and more friable. a 1722 Lisle Husbandry (1757) 250 The first spring-grass, which was luscious and gnash. 1893 Wilts. Gloss., Nash, Naish,..tender and juicy: applied to lettuce. |
† b. transf. Not harsh or violent.
Obs. rare.
| a 1225 Ancr. R. 192 Ȝe muwen more dreden þe nesche dole þene þe herde of þeos fondunges. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 231 A nesh brekynge and Plesaunte voice tokenyth a..wel y-manerit man. c 1440 Partonope 6063 That in Armys me shall teche Thought my stroke be hard of nasshe. |
c. Damp, moist, wet.
rare.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) I. 333 Þe lond is nesche, reyny, and wyndy. 1573 Twyne æneid x. Ee j b, Whan by nighttime nesh som blasing star All bloodred sanguine shewes. |
2. a. Slack, negligent; lacking in energy or diligence.
| c 897 K. ælfred tr. Gregory's Past. C. lx. 453 Swa he ðone hnescan ðafettere on recceleste ne ᵹebrenge. a 1225 Ancr. R. 272 Hwon Recabes sunen..ivindeð so unwaker & so nesche ȝeteward. c 1290 Beket 1589 in S. Eng. Leg. I. 152 For þat þe bischopus bifore me weren to nesche..þe stude⁓fastore i mot beo. 1382 Wyclif Prov. xviii. 9 Who is nesshe [v.r. neisch] and dissolut in his werk. 1879 G. F. Jackson Shropsh. Word-bk. s.v., 'Er's a nesh piece, 'er dunna do above 'afe a day's work. |
b. Timid; wanting in courage; faint-hearted.
| 1382 Wyclif Jer. li. 46 Lest par auenture waxe nesshe [v.r. neische] ȝoure herte, and ȝee drede the heering. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 139 Doghty men and hardy hit makyth lyke women, neshe and feynte. Ibid. 226 Tho..bene nesse of corage an lyke to women. 1841 Hamilton Nugæ Lit. 354 Nesh is applied to a cowardly, undecided person. |
† 3. a. Tender, mild, gentle, kind; inclined to pity, mercy, or other tender feelings.
Obs.| c 897 K. ælfred tr. Gregory's Past. C. xvii. 126 Sie ðær eac lufu, næs ðeah to hnesce. 971 Blickl. Hom. 99 Drihten næfre ne forsyhþ þa eaþmodan heortan ne þa hnescestan. c 1175 Lamb. Hom. 159 Hit melt of þe neche horte swa deð þe snaw to-ȝeines þe sunne. a 1225 Ancr. R. 334 Ȝif þu..holdest God to nesche uorto awreken sunne. 1340 Ayenb. 153 Riȝtuolnesse is..þet me deþ be dome riȝtuol and trewe, ne to nesssse ne to hard. 1382 Wyclif Prov. xv. 1 A nesshe answere brekith wrathe; an hard woord rereth woodnesse. 1470–85 Malory Arthur xiii. xx. 641 Neuer woldest thow be maade neysshe nor by water nor by fyre. c 1530 Crt. of Love 1092 It semeth for love his harte is tender nessh. |
† b. Easily yielding to temptation; inclined to lust or wantonness.
Obs.| c 1000 ælfric Hom. II. 220 Hnesce on mode to flæsclicum lustum. a 1250 Owl & Night. 1387 Wymmon is of neysse [v.r. nesche] fleysse, & fleysses lustes is strong to queysse. a 1300 Cursor M. 8986 Man for to fall in filth o fless, Thoru forme kind þat es sa nesse. 1382 Wyclif 1 Cor. vi. 10 Nether auouters, neither neische, neither lecchours of men. |
4. a. Tender, delicate, weak; unable to endure fatigue or exposure; susceptible to cold.
The most prevalent sense in
mod. dialect use.
| α c 1000 ælfric Gen. xxxiii. 13 Ic hæbbe hnesce litlingas..mid me. c 1450 Cov. Myst. (Shaks. Soc.) 32 Oure hap was hard, our wytt was nesche. 1553 T. Wilson Rhet. (1580) 37 We are all so weake of witte..and our bodie so neshe, that it looketh euer to be cherished. 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. i. (1879) 54 This pampering of our bodies makes them weker, tenderer and nesher, than otherwyse they would be. 1607 Topsell Four-f. Beasts (1658) 294 If the Horse be nesh and tender, and so wax lean without any apparent grief. 1639 T. de la Grey Expert Farrier 59 These..are naturally slow, dull, heavy, and nesh or wash of their flesh. 1789 Marshall Rur. Econ. Glouc. I. 330 Nesh; the common term, for tender or washy, as spoken of a cow or horse. 1839–52 Bailey Festus 334 He..let All rigour do its worst, which only served To harden him, though nothing nesh at first. 1887 Hall Caine Deemster vi, Their own little room.., where no fire burned lest they should grow ‘nesh’. |
| β 1925 Dialect Notes V. 237 Nish.., delicate. 1963 Amer. Speech XXXVIII. 299 [Newfoundland] Nish, adj. (1) Tender. (2) Easily injured. 1964 L. E. F. English Historic Newfoundland 31 Nish, tender, easily injured. |
| γ 1665–6 Phil. Trans. I. 318 If he be (as the Phrase is among Horse-masters) a Nash or Wash-Horse. 1674 Ray N.C. Words 34 Nash: Washy, tender, weak, puling. 1825 Brockett N.C. Gloss. 1860 Geo. Eliot Mill on Fl. iv, They're nash things, them lop-eared rabbits. |
b. Dainty, fastidious, squeamish.
| 1839– in various dialects (see Eng. Dial. Dict.). 1848 A. B. Evans Leicestersh. Words, Naish, or Nash,..is also used for dainty. ‘A naish feeder’ is said of a horse. |
† 5. absol. (usually in conjunction with
hard.)
a. That which is soft; soft ground; also
pl. of persons (
quot. c 1330).
Obs.| a 1000 in Thorpe Laws II. 264 æᵹhwæt hnesces oððe heardes, wætes oððe driᵹes. a 1000 Sal. & Sat. 286 (Gr.) Him on hand gæð heardes & hnesces. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 8166 (Kölbing), He hadde wonder of his pruesse, Þat so leyd doun hard & nesse. c 1450 St. Cuthbert (Surtees) 1413 Hongyr and calde it semed him aylde, Als he [had] gane thurgh harde and nesche. 1460–70 in C. Innes Sketches Early Sc. Hist. (1861) 506 Ascendand up..betwix the hard & the naysch ewyn sowth owr to the burn. 1584 Reg. Mag. Sig. 23 Dec., Keipand betuix the nasche and the hard north and northeist. |
† b. Mild or gentle treatment.
Obs.| c 1200 Ormin 3734 Mann mihhte himm fon & pinenn Wiþþ hat & kald, wiþþ nesshe & harrd. a 1225 Ancr. R. 352 Þe deade nis nan more..of herd þen of nesche, vor he ne iueleð nouðer. 13.. E.E. Allit. P. A. 606 Queþer-so-euer he dele nesch oþer harde. c 1375 xi. Pains of Hell 166 in O.E. Misc. 227 Þei soffred harde and noþing nessche. 1417 in Rymer Fœdera (1709) IX. 435/1 Thys two, my Lordys wylle abyde harde and nesche all weyes. |
† c. in nesh and hard, etc., under all or any circumstances.
Obs.| c 1200 Ormin 14828 To wurrþenn herrsumm till þin Godd Inn harrd, i nesshe, & æfre. c 1330 Arth. & Merl. 2961 (Kölbing), In Nesse, in hard.., In al stedes þou him avowe. 1390 Gower Conf. II. 284 Lihtere is to fle the flint Than gete of him in hard or neisshe Only the value of a reysshe. |
† d. So
for nesh or hard, etc.
Obs.| c 1330 R. Brunne Chron. (1810) 228 A letter þis fole tok, bad him for nessh or hard þeron suld no man loke. c 1400 Laud Troy Bk. 17454 Holde we to-gedur for hard or nesche. c 1420 Liber Cocorum (1862) 33 Feyre hony do into hit..Too fyngurs thyke for harde or nesshe. a 1460 Lybeaus Disc. 1573 No kniȝht for nesche ne hard,..Ne geteþ her non ostell. |
† 6. adv. Softly, gently, tenderly.
Obs. rare.
| 1297 R. Glouc. (Rolls) 8964 Þis gode mold..wess þe meseles vet..& wipede is nessce afterward. 13.. Seuyn Sag. (W.) 732 Hit had of thre norices keping;..The child was keped tendre an nessche. |
▪ II. nesh, v. Now
dial. (
nɛʃ)
Forms: 1
hnescian,
hnexian, 3–5
neschen, (5
-yn, 4
neischen,
naisschen),
nesshen, (4
nhessen,
ness-,
neyss-), 9
dial. nesh,
naish.
[OE. hnescian, f. hnesce nesh a. Cf. mod.Flem. neschen to wet.] † 1. intr. To become soft.
Obs.| c 897 K. ælfred tr. Gregory's Past. C. xxxvii. 271 Se hearda stan..hnescað onᵹean ðæt liðe blod. c 1000 Sax. Leechd. II. 202 Hnescað se swile sone & ᵹebersteþ innan. c 1290 S. Eng. Leg. I. 331/286 Huy nescheden ase doth wex aȝein þe fuyre. 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xvii. clxvi. (Bodl. MS.), Thyse treen brenneþ nouȝt in fire noþer naisscheþ in water. a 1400 Relig. Pieces fr. Thornton MS. (1867) 31 Now es na herte sa herde þat it na moghte nesche. |
† 2. trans. To make soft.
Obs.| c 1000 ælfric Gram. (Z.) 191 Mollio, ic hnexiᵹe. a 1100 Eadwine's Canterb. Ps. liv. 22 Hy hnescodon spreca here ofer ele. c 1200 Ormin 1549 Þu brekesst wel þin corn & grindesst itt & nesshesst. a 1300 E.E. Psalter liv. 22 Nesched als oyle his saghs bene. 1340 Ayenb. 94 God þe uader, huanne he nhesseþ þe herte and makeþ zuete and tretable. c 1380 Wyclif Sel. Wks. III. 68 Iys and leed..ben neischid aȝein by hoot. 1422 tr. Secreta Secret., Priv. Priv. 190 Loue of women..nesshyth a manes herte. 1471 Ripley Comp. Alch. in Ashm. (1652) 113 Nesh not your Wombe by drinking ymmoderatly. |
3. dial. with
it. To turn faint-hearted; to draw back; to ‘funk’ it.
| 1881– in dialect glossaries, etc. (Yks., Chesh., Derby, Staff., Leic.). |
Hence
ˈneshing vbl. n.| 1398 Trevisa Barth. De P.R. xix. clxvii. (1495) 907 The vertue of nesshynge nouryssheth by heete and by moysture. |