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Nelson Mandela South African statesman, anti-apartheid activist, and Nobel Peace Prize winner, who was held as a political prisoner for 27 years and became the first democratically elected and first black President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999 (b. 1918).
nematode an unsegmented, usu. parasitic worm having an elongated, cylindrical body; roundworm.
nemesis that which one cannot beat, conquer, or succeed at; cause or agent of one's often repeated downfall. [3 definitions]
nemo me impune lacessit (Latin) no one attacks me with impunity (motto of Scotland).
neo- (sometimes cap.) recent; new; later.
Neocene see "tertiary."
neoclassic belonging to or concerning a revival of classical styles, forms, and principles in art, music, literature, or architecture.
neoclassicism (often cap.) the revival of classical Greek forms and motifs in European and American architecture of the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. [2 definitions]
neocolonialism the use of economic, political, or other means to retain control over former colonies.
Neo-Darwinism a theory of evolution that denies the inheritance of acquired characteristics and asserts that natural selection determines evolution.
neodymium a rare-earth metallic chemical element that has sixty protons in each nucleus and that occurs most frequently as a trivalent ion in salts and minerals, used esp. in coloring high-quality optical glass. (symbol: Nd)
neo-fascism any of various post-World War II political movements or doctrines that are similar in viewpoint to that of fascism.
Neolithic (sometimes l.c.) designating the latter part of the Stone Age, from about 8,000 B.C. to about 3,500 B.C., characterized by the use of polished stone tools and the beginnings of farming.
neologism a new word, phrase, or usage. [2 definitions]
neologize to coin new words, or make new meanings for existing words.
neomycin an antibiotic drug used to treat infections, esp. of the skin and eyes.
neon a chemical element of the inert gas group that has ten protons in each nucleus and that is used in liquid form as a refrigerant, and in gaseous form as an atmosphere for electrical discharge lamps because it glows a brilliant orange when excited by electricity. (symbol: Ne) [5 definitions]
neonate a newborn child, esp. one in its first month of life.
neophyte a beginner or novice at any activity. [3 definitions]
neoplasm a new growth of tissue that is abnormal or different from surrounding tissue; growth or tumor.
Neoplatonism a philosophical school and doctrine founded by Plotinus in the third century A.D. that asserts that all existence flows from a single source, with which the soul seeks to unite.