Inherited from Middle English no, noo, na, a reduced form of none, noon, nan (“none, not any”) used before consonants (compare a to an), from Old English nān (“none, not any”), from Proto-West Germanic *nain, from Proto-Germanic *nainaz (“not any”, literally “not one”), equivalent to ne (“not”) + a. Piecewise doublet of none. Cognate with Scots nae (“no, not any, none”), Old Frisian nān, nēn ("no, not any, none"), Saterland Frisian naan, neen (“no, not any, none”), North Frisian nian (“no, not any, none”), Old Dutch nēn ("no, not any, none"; > Dutch neen (“no”)), Old Norse neinn (“no, not any, none”). Compare also Old Saxon nigēn ("not any"; > Low German nen), Old Dutch nehēn (Middle Dutch negheen/negeen, Dutch geen), West Frisian gjin, Old High German nihein (> German kein). More at no, one.
1
Not any.
no one
There is no water left.
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No hot dogs were sold yesterday.
I've got no wife and no children either.
No two people are the same.
There was no score at the end of the first period. (The score was 0-0.)
Etymology Inherited from Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwō, from Proto-Germanic *naiwô (“never”), from *ne (“not”) + *aiwō (“ever”), equivalent to Old English ne + ā, ō. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.
› Not, not at all.
1
With following adjective Used before different, before comparatives with more and less, and idiomatically before other comparatives.
It is a less physical kind of torture, but no less gruesome.
I can think of no more deserving cause.
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Look no further than one's nose.
This is no different from what we've been doing all along.
Is your sister any better? ~ No different. Still ill.
2
Informal, With following adjective Used idiomatically before certain other adjectives.
I just want to find out whether she's coming or no.
Can ye no help me?
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AS the Devil is not so Black as he is Painted, so neither does he appear in so many Shapes as we make for him; we Dress him up in more Suits of Cloaths, and more Masquerade Habits, than ever he wore; and I question much, if he was to see the Pictures and Figures which we call Devil, whether he would know himself by some of them or no.1725, Daniel Defoe, An essay on the history and reality of apparitions:
Etymology Inherited from Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwō, from Proto-Germanic *naiwô (“never”), from *ne (“not”) + *aiwō (“ever”), equivalent to Old English ne + ā, ō. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.
1
Used to show disagreement, negation, denial, refusal, or prohibition.
Why is it when I say 'no', you both hear 'yes'?2000 February 5, Douglas Watkinson & al., "Beyond the Grave", Midsomer Murders
No, you are mistaken.
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No, you may not watch television now.
David, no!
2
Used to express sadness or disappointment.
"We lost." "No!"
3
Used to express disbelief.
I got the job! / No! Really? That's fantastic!
4
Used to show agreement with a negative question.
"Don’t you like milk?" "No." (i.e., "No, I don’t like milk.")
5
Colloquial Used together with an affirmative word or phrase to show agreement.
Etymology Inherited from Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwō, from Proto-Germanic *naiwô (“never”), from *ne (“not”) + *aiwō (“ever”), equivalent to Old English ne + ā, ō. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.
1
Without.
Look Ma, no hands!
2
Like.
no
noun
Etymology Inherited from Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwō, from Proto-Germanic *naiwô (“never”), from *ne (“not”) + *aiwō (“ever”), equivalent to Old English ne + ā, ō. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.
1
A negating expression; an answer that shows disagreement, denial, refusal, or disapproval.
Q: I'll answer any ten questions that call for a yes or a no.1994, Brannon Braga, Ronald D. Moore, “All Good Things...”, in Star Trek: The Next Generation, season 7, episodes 25-26, John de Lancie (actor):
2
A vote not in favor, or opposing a proposition.
The workers voted on whether to strike, and there were thirty yeses and two nos.
Etymology Inherited from Middle English no, na, from Old English nā, nō (“no, not, not ever, never”), from Proto-West Germanic *naiwō, from Proto-Germanic *naiwô (“never”), from *ne (“not”) + *aiwō (“ever”), equivalent to Old English ne + ā, ō. Cognate with Scots na (“no”), Saterland Frisian noa (“no”), West Frisian né (“no”), nea (“never”), Dutch nee (“no”), Low German nee (“no”), German nie (“never”), dialectal German nö (“no”), Danish nej (“no”), Swedish nej (“no”), Icelandic nei (“no”). More at nay.
She felt disquiet at these tales of Musa’s illicit activities. ‘Does your father know?’ / ‘My father always noes. He never yeses. Specially when he’s sick, then he noes all the time. I gotta get out. Can’t stick around the house with him yelling.[…]’1983, Sasha Moorsom, chapter 5, in In the Shadow of the Paradise Tree, London; Melbourne, Vic.; Henley-on-Thame, Oxfordshire: Routledge & Kegan Paul, →ISBN, page 80:
“Heaven knows why a woman ‘Noes’!” / Clarrie nodded glumly. “And why she ‘Yesses’ in the end.”1994, Malcolm Ross, “Part Three: The New Woman”, in Kernow & Daughter, London: BCA, →ISBN, page 293:
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There were days, entire years of his life, spent yessing and noing on the phone, picking up and hanging up and accomplishing nothing at all.2001, Nicholas Weinstock, “The Flowers”, in As Long As She Needs Me, New York, N.Y.: Perennial, published 2002, →ISBN, page 140:
2
Colloquial To answer with “no”; to decline, reject.
Never accustom yourself to say ‘Yes,’—practise an emphatic and decisive enunciation of the far more dignified and important monosyllable, ‘No.’ […] Believe me, it is of the utmost importance (the advice is not of recent date) that you should No the world.1835 April, “The Whimsey Papers.—No. II. Vague Conclusions Concerning Selfishness and Benevolence—Vivid the Casuist—Skinflint the Misanthrope—Green, the Good-Natured Man.”, in [Caroline Norton], editor, The Court Magazine, […], volume VI, number IV, London: Edward Churton, […], →OCLC, page 168, column 1:
BUDGET DIRECTOR SMITH / The President yessed his report […] SENATOR McCARRAN / He noed the President’s report1940 March 17, “Back of the CAA Fight: Independence or Closer Executive Control of Aviation Agency”, in David Lawrence, editor, The United States News, Washington, D.C.: United States News Publishing Corporation, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 33, column 2:
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Yet in every such instance—and there are scores of them—the Justices can do nothing but impotently point toward future action after Yessing or Noing past action by men in a position to act.1955, Fred Rodell, “Powerful, Irresponsible, and Human”, in Nine Men: A Political History of the Supreme Court from 1790 to 1955, New York, N.Y.: Random House, →LCCN, →OCLC, page 12: