Etymology dictionary

non-importation (n.) — no-smoking (adj.)

non-importation (n.)

also nonimportation, "a refraining from importing," 1770, from non- + importation.

non-intercourse (n.)

"a refraining from intercourse," in any sense, 1809, from non- + intercourse.

non-intervention (n.)

also nonintervention, "act or policy of a nation of not intervening in the affairs of other nations," 1831, from non- + intervention.

non-invasive (adj.)

also noninvasive, "not tending to spread; not require the introduction of instruments into the body," by 1850, from non- + invasive.

non-judgmental (adj.)

also nonjudgmental, "avoiding moral judgments," by 1950 in education and psychiatry, from non- + judgmental.

non-linear (adj.)

also nonlinear, "not linear," in any sense, 1844, from non- + linear.

non-member (n.)

also nonmember, "one who is not a member," 1640s, from non- + member.

non-metal (n.)

also nonmetal, "an element which is not a metal," 1866, from non- + metal. Related: Non-metallic (1815).

nonny

also nonny-nonny, 1530s, an unmeaning refrain word in older English ballads, similar to the fa la of madrigals, often used "as a cover for indelicate allusions" [Century Dictionary].

no-no (n.)

"an action, etc., that is forbidden or unacceptable," 1942, from a childish reduplication of no.

no-nonsense (adj.)

"not tolerating foolishness, practical," by 1912, from the phrase to stand no nonsense "tolerate no foolishness or extravagant conduct," which is attested from 1821, originally in sporting slang.

mid-15c., non-parail, "having no equal," from Old French nonpareil "not equal, unequaled, peerless," from non- "not" (see non-) + pareil "equal" (from Latin par "equal;" see par (n.)). The noun meaning "an unequaled person or thing" is from 1590s; first applied to a kind of candy 1690s. As the name of a printing type (6 point size) it is attested from 1640s.

non-partisan (adj.)

also nonpartisan, "not based on, belonging to, or loyal to any particular political faction or party," 1872, American English, from non- + partisan (adj.) "pertaining to a (political) party."

As a noun, "a non-partisan person," from 1888.

non-payment (n.)

also nonpayment, "failure to pay," early 15c., non-paiement, from non- + payment.

non-performance (n.)

also nonperformance, "failure or neglect to perform," c. 1500, from non- + performance.

non-perishable (adj.)

also nonperishable, "not subject to rapid decay or deterioration," 1887, from non- + perishable.

nonplus (v.)

"to bring to a nonplus, to perplex, puzzle, confound," 1590s, from the noun nonplus "state in which one is unable to proceed or decide" (1580s), usually in a phrase such as at or to a nonplus, properly "state where 'nothing more' can be done or said," from Latin non plus "no more, no further" (see plus). Related: Nonplussed.

nonplussed (adj.)

"perplexed, puzzled, confounded," c. 1600, past-participle adjective from nonplus, which is from Latin non plus "no more, no further."

non-polar (adj.)

also nonpolar, 1840, in chemistry and physics, from non- + polar.

non-political (adj.)

also nonpolitical, by 1826, "not concerned with or influenced by political motivations, politically neutral," from non- + political.

non-profit (adj.)

also nonprofit, of organization or institutions, "dedicated to a particular social cause or interest and using surplus revenue to further that purpose," 1922, from non- + profit (n.). As a noun, "a non-profit organization," by 1953.

non-proliferation (n.)

also nonproliferation, "prevention of the spread of anything," especially and originally "prevention of the increase in the number of countries having nuclear weapons," 1965, from non- + proliferation.

non-renewable (adj.)

also nonrenewable, "not able to be renewed," by 1896 of licenses, library book loans, etc., from non- + renewable. Of natural resources or sources of energy, "existing in finite quantity; not capable of being replenished," by 1935.

non-resident (n.)

also nonresident, early 15c., "a clergyman who fails to reside in the locality of his benefice," from non- + resident. General sense of "one who does not reside within a particular jurisdiction" is by 1819.

non-residence (n.)

also nonresidence, "fact of not residing within a particular jurisdiction," late 14c., originally with reference to clergy living away from their pastorate or charge, from non- + residence. Related: Non-residency.

non-resistance (n.)

also nonresistance, "absence of resistance; passive obedience; submission to authority, even if unjustly exercised," 1640s, from non- + resistance. Related: Non-resistant; non-resisting.

non-returnable (adj.)

also nonreturnable, 1896, originally in insurance, "that may not be returned," from non- + returnable. In reference to packaging, by 1926.

non-sectarian (adj.)

also nonsectarian, "not involving or relating to a specific religious sect," 1825, from non- + sectarian.

nonsense (n.)

"that which is lacking in sense, language or words without meaning or conveying absurd or ridiculous ideas," 1610s, from non- "not" + sense (n.); perhaps influenced by French nonsens. Since mid-20c., non-sense, with the hyphen, has been used to distinguish the meaning "that which is not sense, that which is different from sense," not implying absurdity.

nonsensical (adj.)

"of the nature of nonsense, absurd, foolish," 1650s, from nonsense + -ical. Related: Nonsensically.

non sequitur (n.)

1530s, in logic, "an inference or conclusion that does not follow from the premise," a Latin phrase, "it does not follow," from non "not" + third person singular present indicative of sequi "to follow" (from PIE root *sekw- (1) "to follow").

non-smoker (n.)

also nonsmoker, 1836, "person who does not smoke tobacco," from non- + smoker. Meaning "non-smoking compartment in a railway car" is by 1901. Non-smoking is attested by 1826.

non-standard (adj.)

also nonstandard, "not average or usual," 1926, from non- + standard (adj.). A linguist's value-neutral term for language that is not of the form that is accepted as standard, which language formerly was stigmatized as bad or vulgar.

non-starter (n.)

also nonstarter, "one who does not start a race, contest, etc.," hence "ineffectual person or impracticable idea," 1909, from non- + starter.

non-stop (adj.)

also nonstop, "that does not stop," 1903, from non- + stop (n.); originally of railway trains not making intermediate stops. As an adverb by 1920.

nonsuch (n.)

1580s, nonesuch "unmatched or unrivaled thing," from none + such. From 1640s as "person who has no equal." As a type of decorated 16c. or 17c. chest, it is in reference to Nonesuch Palace, in Surrey, which supposedly is represented in the designs. Middle English had an adjective non-swich "no such, not any such" (mid-13c.), also used as a surname and as a pronoun (c. 1300) meaning "no such person or thing."

non-toxic (adj.)

also nontoxic, "not poisonous," 1892, from non- + toxic.

non-vascular (adj.)

also nonvascular, "lacking vessels for the circulation of fluid," 1815, from non- + vascular.

non-verbal (adj.)

also nonverbal, "not using words," by 1809, from non- + verbal. Related: Non-verbally.

non-viable (adj.)

applied to a fetus too young to maintain independent life, by 1821, from French non-viable (by 1813 in the Code Napoléon); see non- + viable.

non-violence (n.)

also nonviolence, 1831, from non- + violence. Gandhi used it from 1920.

non-violent (adj.)

also nonviolent, "using peaceful means," especially to bring about change in a society, 1896, from non- + violent (adj.). From 1920 in reference to "principle or practice of abstaining from violence," in writings of M.K. Gandhi.

non-volatile (adj.)

also nonvolatile, "not volatile," 1837, from non- + volatile.

noob (n.)

c. 2000 in gamer slang, variant of newbie; often used interchangeably with it, but also often with a more derogatory shade of meaning; newbies owe their clueless behavior to lack of experience and are capable of improvement, while the fundamental characteristic of noobs is incorrigible obnoxiousness or stupidity.

noodle (v.)

"improvise or play casually on a musical instrument," 1937 (implied in noodling), from noun meaning "improvised music," 1926, perhaps from noodle (n.), on analogy of the suppleness of the food and that of the trills and improvised phrases in jazz improvisations. Related: Noodled.

noodle (n.2)

"head," early 15c., nodel, "head, back of the head," perhaps from Latin nodulus (see nodule). The meaning "simpleton, stupid person" (1753) probably is derived from it. Noodle-thatcher was old slang for "wig-maker" (1716).

noodle (n.1)

"long, narrow strip of dried dough," 1779, from German Nudel, which is of unknown origin; speculated to be ultimately from Latin minutulus "tiny, very small" or a variant of German Knödel "dumpling" and ultimately related to the Germanic source of knot. West Flemish noedel and French nouille are German loan-words.

nook (n.)

c. 1300, noke, "angle formed by the meeting of two lines; a corner of a room," a word of unknown origin. Possibly from Old Norse and connected with Norwegian dialectal nokke "hook, bent figure," or from Old English hnecca "neck," but the sense evolution would be difficult. OED considers the similar Celtic words to be borrowings from English. Meaning "remote or secluded place" is by late 14c.

nookie (n.)

also nooky, "sexual activity," slang, generally used by men, by 1928, perhaps from Dutch neuken "to copulate with," but it is not impossible to connect it to nook (n.) on the notion of "an angle" or "a secluded spot." The adjective nooky "full of nooks, nook-like" is recorded from 1813.

noon (n.)

mid-12c., non "midday," in exact use, "12 o'clock p.m.," also "midday meal," from Old English non "3 o'clock p.m., the ninth hour from sunrise," also "the canonical hour of nones," from Latin nona hora "ninth hour" of daylight, by Roman and ecclesiastical reckoning about 3 p.m., from nona, fem. singular of nonus "ninth," contracted from *novenos, from novem "nine" (see nine).

The sense shift from "3 p.m." to "12 p.m." began during 12c., and various reasons are given for it, such as unreliability of medieval time-keeping devices and the seasonal elasticity of the hours of daylight in northern regions. In monasteries and on holy days, fasting ended at nones, which perhaps offered another incentive to nudge it up the clock. Or perhaps the sense shift was based on an advance in the customary time of the (secular) midday meal. Whatever the cause, the meaning change from "ninth hour" to "sixth hour" seems to have been complete by 14c. (the same evolution is in Dutch noen).

From 17c. to 19c., noon sometimes also meant "midnight" (the noon of the night).

noonday (n.)

"middle of the day," first used by Coverdale (1535), from noon + day. As an adjective from 1650s. Old English had non tid "noon-tide, midday, noon," also non-tima "noon, noon-time, midday."

noose (n.)

"loop formed by fastening a running knot or slip-knot," mid-15c., perhaps from Old French nos or cognate Old Provençal nous "knot," from Latin nodus "knot" (from PIE root *ned- "to bind, tie"). Rare before c. 1600.

nopal (n.)

type of Mexican cactus (which supports the cochineal bug), 1730, from American Spanish, from Nahuatl (Aztecan) nopalli.

no-parking (adj.)

by 1918, from the wording of the sign designating a place where vehicles may not be parked (attested by 1915); see no + parking.

nope (adv.)

1888, emphatic form of no, with emphasis on the closing of the lips.

no-place (n.)

also noplace, "place which does not exist," 1929, from no + place (n.).

nor (conj.)

"and not," mid-13c., from ne (adv.) "no" + or (conj.), or else a contraction of Middle English nauther (see neither) and influenced in form by or. Generally correlative to neither or some other negative.

Nora

fem. proper name, Irish, shortened from Honora or Leonora.

Nordic (adj.)

"of or pertaining to the Scandinavian people or their languages or physical type," 1898, from French nordique (in anthropologist Joseph Deniker's system of race classifications), literally "of or pertaining to the north," from nord "north" (a loan-word from Old English; see north). Perhaps influenced by German Nordisch. As a noun, from 1901. Strictly, the blond peoples who inhabit Scandinavia and the north of Britain. As a type of skiing competition, it is attested by 1949.

norepinephrine (n.)

1868, from normal (in reference to molecular structure) + epinephrine.

Norfolk

county in East Anglia, England, late 14c., earlier Norþfolc, Nordfolc, 1066, literally "(Territory of the) Northern People (of the East Angles);" see north + folk (n.). The Norfolk pine (1778), used as an ornamental tree, is from Norfolk Island in the South Pacific, northwest of New Zealand, where it is native.

norm (n.)

"a standard, pattern, or model," 1821 (Coleridge), from French norme, from Latin norma "carpenter's square, rule, pattern," a word of unknown origin. Klein suggests a borrowing (via Etruscan) of Greek gnōmōn "carpenter's square." The Latin form of the word, norma, was used in English in the sense of "carpenter's square" from 1670s, also as the name of a small, faint southern constellation introduced 18c. by La Caille.

normative (adj.)

"establishing or setting up a norm or standard which ought to be followed," 1880, perhaps from French normatif, from Latin norma "rule" (see normal).

Norma

fem. proper name, probably from Latin norma (see norm).

normalization (n.)

"act or process of making normal," 1842, from normalize + -ation. International political sense "achieving of stable relations between two countries" is recorded by 1938.

normally (adv.)

1590s, "regularly, according to general custom" (a sense now archaic or obsolete), from normal + -ly (2). Meaning "under ordinary conditions" is by 1838.

normalize (v.)

"reduce to a standard; cause to conform to a standard," 1848, from normal + -ize. Related: Normalized; normalizing.

normal (adj.)

c. 1500, "typical, common;" 1640s, in geometry, "standing at a right angle, perpendicular," from Late Latin normalis "in conformity with rule, normal," in classical Latin "made according to a carpenter's square," from norma "rule, pattern," literally "carpenter's square," a word of unknown origin (see norm). Meaning "conforming to common standards or established order or usage, regular, usual" is attested from 1828 but probably is older than the record [Barnhart].

Meaning "heterosexual" is by 1914. As a noun meaning "usual state or condition," from 1890 (in geometry as "a perpendicular" from 1727). Sense of "a normal person or thing" is attested by 1894. Normal school "training college for teachers" (1835) is a translation of French école normale (1794), a creation of the French Republic; the notion is of "serving to set a standard." The U.S. city of Normal, Illinois, was named 1857 for the normal school established there.

normality (n.)

"character or state of being in accordance with rule or standard," 1833, from normal + -ity.

normalcy (n.)

1857, "mathematical condition of being at right angles, state or fact of being normal in geometry," from normal + -cy. The word has been associated since 1920 with U.S. president Warren G. Harding (who campaigned that year under the slogan "Return to Normalcy," meaning pre-World War I conditions). Previously normalcy was used mostly in the mathematical sense and the word preferred by purists for "a normal situation" is normality. Harding's use of it was derided during his administration as an example of his much-belittled incompetence with the language (Democratic politician William G. McAdoo Jr. called Harding’s speeches "an army of pompous phrases moving across the landscape in search of an idea").

Norman (n.)

c. 1200, "an inhabitant of Normandy; one of the mixed Scandinavian-Frankish people who conquered England in 1066," late Old English, from Old French Normanz, plural of Normand, Normant, literally "North man," from a Scandinavian word meaning "northman" (see Norse), in reference to the Scandinavian warriors who overran and occupied the region of France south of the English Channel in 10c. and largely adopted the customs and language of the French.

As an adjective from 1580s. As the name for a round-arched style of medieval architecture developed in Normandy and employed in England after the conquest, it is attested from 1797. Norseman "a native of ancient Scandinavia" (1817) is not historical and appears to owe its existence to Scott. Norman-French for "the form of French spoken by the medieval Normans (and preserved until modern times in English law)" is from c. 1600.

Normandy

a part of France bordering the English Channel and settled by Vikings, early 14c., Normandie, from Old French, from Normand (see Norman).

Norn (n.)

one of the three female fates of Scandinavian mythology, whose decrees were irrevocable, 1770, from Old Norse norn (plural nornir), which is related to Swedish dialectal norna "to warn, to communicate secretly," perhaps ultimately imitative of low murmuring (compare Middle High German narren "to growl, snarl").

Norse (n.)

1590s, "a Norwegian," from obsolete Dutch Noorsch (adj.) "Norwegian," a reduced form of noordsch "northern, nordic," from noord "north" (see north). Also in some cases borrowed from cognate Danish or Norwegian norsk. As a language of the north (spoken and written in Norway, Iceland, etc.), from 1680s. Old Norse attested from 1844. An Old English word for "a Norwegian" was Norðman. As an adjective from 1768.

In Old French, Norois as a noun meant "a Norse, Norseman," also "action worth of a man from the North (i.e. usually considered as deceitful)" [Hindley, et. al.]; as an adjective it meant "northern, Norse, Norwegian," also "proud, fierce, fiery, strong."

north

Old English norð- (in compounds) "northern, lying to the north" (adj.); norð (adv.) "northwards, to the north, in the north;" from Proto-Germanic *nurtha- (source also of Old Norse norðr, Old Saxon north, Old Frisian north, Middle Dutch nort, Dutch noord, German nord), which is probably an IE word, but of uncertain origin.

It might be ultimately from PIE *ner- (1) "left," also "below" (source also of Sanskrit narakah "hell," Greek neretos "deeper, lower down," enerthen "from beneath," Oscan-Umbrian nertrak "left"), as north is to the left when one faces the rising sun. The same notion apparently underlies Old Irish tuath "left; northern;" Arabic shamal "left hand; north." Compare Benjamin. Or perhaps the notion is that the sun is at its "lowest" point when in the north.

The usual word for "north" in the Romance languages ultimately is from English: Old French north (Modern French nord), borrowed from Old English norð; and Italian nord, Spanish norte, borrowed from French.

As a noun, "the northern cardinal point or direction," late 12c., from the adjective. From c. 1200 as "the north part of Britain, the region beyond the Humber." Generally, then "a region lying north of some other region." In U.S. history, "the states and territories north of Maryland and the Ohio River" (by 1796).

The geographical North Pole is attested from mid-15c. (earlier the Arctic pole, late 14c.; north pole in astronomy for "the fixed zenith of the celestial sphere" is from late 14c.). North American (n.) was used in 1766 by Franklin; as an adjective from 1770.

north-bound (adj.)

also northbound, "travelling northward," by 1870, from north + bound (adj.2).

northeast (n.)

also north-east, "point or direction midway between north and east," Old English norþ-east; see north + east. As an adjective, "pertaining to or proceeding from or toward the northeast," by 1739. Related: Northeastern "pertaining to or in the direction of the northeast" (late 14c.); northeastward (1550s); northeasterly (1743).

north-easter (n.)

sometimes nor'easter, "gale or wind blowing from the northeast," 1794, from northeast.

northerly

1550s as an adjective, "pertaining to or being in or toward the north; proceeding from the north," from northern + -ly (2) on pattern of easterly, westerly. As an adverb, "toward the north," from 1590s. Related: Northerliness.

northern (adj.)

"of or pertaining to a region, place, or point nearer the north than some other," Old English norþerna, norðerne "northern, of the north; Northumbrian; Scandinavian," cognate with Old High German nordroni, Old Norse norroenn (see north). With -erne, suffix denoting direction. Related: Northernmost.

Northerner "man from the north of England" is attested from late 13c. as a surname. In the U.S. sense "native or resident of the northern states or territories" it is attested by 1818. Northern lights "aurora borealis" is recorded by that name by 1721 (earlier north-light, 1706).

northland (n.)

"northern part of a country," Old English norþ-lond; see north + land (n.).

North Sea

Middle English North-se, from Old English norþ sæ, norðsæ, usually meaning "the Bristol Channel" (see north + sea). The application to the body of waternow so called, east of England (late 13c.) is from Dutch (Noordzee, Middle Dutch Noortzee); it lies to the north of Holland, where it was contrasted with the inland Zuider Zee, literally "Southern Sea"). To the Danes, it sometimes was Vesterhavet "West Sea." In English, this had been typically called the "German Sea" or "German Ocean," which follows the Roman name for it, Oceanus Germanicus. "German" persisted on some British maps at least into the 1830s. North Sea in Middle English also could mean "the northern portion of the ocean believed to surround the earth" (late 14c.).

North Star (n.)

"Pole Star, Polaris," Middle English norþe sterre (late 14c.); cognate with Middle Dutch noirdstern, German Nordstern.

Northumbria

Latinized form of the name of the Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Norðhymbre, which lay north of the river Humber (Latin Humbri fluminis, c. 720), an ancient pre-English river name of unknown origin. It was the leading power of England during part of the 7c. and 8c. Related: Northumbrian. The Northumbrians seem at times to have referred to the Mercians as Southumbrians. The English county name of Northumberland is attested from c. 1200 (North-humbre-lond).

northward (adv.)

"toward the north, in a northerly direction," late Old English norþweard; see north + -ward. Northwards, with adverbial genitive, is attested from mid-15c. The adjective northward is attested from 1590s.

northwest

also north-west, Old English norþwest (adv.) "to a point or in a direction between north and west;" from north + west. As a noun, "region or locality lying in the northwest of a country," and adjective from late 14c.

In U.S. geography it was at first, the territory that later became Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan and northeastern Minnesota (1787); after about 1853 the term was applied to the unorganized territory north of Nebraska, west of Minnesota, and east of the Rockies. Pacific Northwest, describing Oregon and Washington, is by 1874. Related: Northwestern; northwesterly; northwestward (late 14c.).

Northwest Passage as the name of an at-first hypothetical sea route from the Atlantic to the Pacific by the northern coasts of North America, first attested c. 1600. The Northwest Ordinance (1787) was an act of Congress to organize the territory beyond the Appalachian Mountains between the Great Lakes and the Ohio River.

Norway

European nation on the western part of the Scandinavian peninsula, Middle English Nor-weie, from Old English Norweg, Norþweg "Norway, the Norwegian coast," from Old Norse Norvegr "north way, a way leading to the north," from norðr (see north) + vegr "way," from Proto-Germanic *wegaz "course of travel, way" (from PIE root *wegh- "to go, move, transport in a vehicle"). Contrasted with suthrvegar "south way," i.e. Germany, and austrvegr "east way," the Baltic lands. Compare Norwegian.

Norwegian

c. 1600 (n.) "a native of Norway," and (adj.) "of or pertaining to Norway," sometimes in early use Norvegian, from Medieval Latin Norvegia "Norway," from Old Norse Norvegr (see Norway) + -ian. Earlier words included Noreine and Norreis (both c. 1300), from Norrene (n.) "Norway" (c. 1200; the surname Norne is from late 12c.); Noregan (late 14c., from Medieval Latin); Norenish (c. 1200, adj. and n.), from late Old English Norren, from Old Norse Norrœnn.

nose (n.)

Middle English nose, from Old English nosu "the nose of the human head, the special organ of breathing and smelling," from Proto-Germanic *nuso- (source also of Old Norse nös, Old Frisian nose, Dutch neus, Old High German nasa, German Nase), from PIE root *nas- "nose."

Used of beaks or snouts of animals from mid-13c.; of any prominent or projecting part supposed to resemble a nose from late 14c. (nose cone in the space rocket sense is from 1949). Meaning "sense of smell" is from mid-14c. Meaning "odor, scent" is from 1894. In Middle English, to have one's spirit in one's nose was to "be impetuous or easily angered" (c. 1400).

To pay through the nose "pay excessively" (1670s) seems to suggest bleeding. Many extended meanings are from the horse-racing sense of "length of a horse's nose," as a measure of distance between two finishers (1908). To turn up one's nose "show disdain, express scorn or contempt" is from 1818 (earlier hold up one's nose, 1570s); a similar notion is expressed in look down one's nose (1907). To say something is under (one's) nose "in plain view, directly in front of one" is from mid-15c. To be as plain as the nose on one's face "very easy to be seen or understood" is from 1590s.

nose (v.)

1570s, "perceive the smell of;" 1640s; "pry, search in a meddlesome way;" from nose (n.). Related: Nosed; nosing.

nose-bag (n.)

"bag containing feed for a horse, fastened to its head by straps," 1796, from nose (n.) + bag (n.).

nose-bleed (n.)

also nosebleed, "a discharge of blood from the nose, epistaxis," 1839 (Webster), from nose (n.) + bleed (n.). Also a common name of the yarrow and watercress (15c., compare nasturtium).

nose-dive (n.)

"sudden large decrease," 1920, a figurative extension from the literal sense in airplane flying, "a sudden, rapid, nose-first descent," which is attested by 1912, from nose (n.) + dive (n.). As a verb from 1915. Related: Nose-dived.

nosegay (n.)

"bunch of flowers used to delight the sense of smell," late 15c., from nose (n.) + gay in an obsolete noun sense of "gay or bright thing."

nosey (adj.)

see nosy.

nose job (n.)

"rhinoplasty," by 1948, from nose (n.) + job (n.).

nose-ring (n.)

"circular ornament worn in the septum of the nose," 1769 as something to ornament a person; 1778 as something to lead an animal by, from nose (n.) + ring (n.1).

nosh (v.)

"to snack, to eat between meals," 1957, from Yiddish nashn "nibble," from Middle High German naschen, from Old High German hnascon, nascon "to nibble," from Proto-Germanic *(g)naskon. Related: Noshed; noshing. Earlier as a noun (1917) meaning "a restaurant," short for nosh-house.

no-show (n.)

also no show, "someone who fails to keep an appointment or claim a reservation," by 1941, from no + show (v.), in the "show up, appear" sense. Originally airline jargon, in reference to the commercial airlines' no-show list, of "people who make reservations, are in a great hurry and say they will pick up their tickets at the field. Then they fail to call in and cancel their seats and never show up at the field." ["Popular Aviation," December 1934]

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" is recorded from 1882. Nosey Parker as a name for an inquisitive person is by 1890.

no-smoking (adj.)

"in which smoking is not permitted," 1905; the sign wording itself is attested by 1817.