Ness Meaning
/nɛs/Definition, CEFR level C1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
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Definition
nounA promontory; a cape or headland. (Frequently used as a suffix in placenames.)
nameAn Ulster princess and the mother of Conchobar mac Nessa and Findchoem in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. Daughter of Eochaid Sálbuide. Also the mother of Cormac Cond Longas by incest with Conchobar mac Nessa.
Sentence Examples
Is the Loch Ness monster real or is it just an elaborate hoax?
The Loch Ness monster is an urban myth.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old castle stood on a rocky ____ that jutted far into the sea.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The suffix -____ is often added to adjectives to form abstract nouns in English.
Word Origin & History
Named after the River Ness, of Proto-Brythonic/Pictish origin, from a Proto-Celtic word *Nesta describing great currents, according to MacBain, from the same Proto-Indo-European root that gave the river Νέστος (Néstos), possibly *ned- (“water”) (cf. German nass (“wet”)).
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"Velvraz Sebarm stands upon the lake, among orange-trees and pomegranates and almonds and peaches of the south, a mile north-west over the water from Zayana town, and two miles by land: an old castle built of honey-coloured marble at the tip of a long sickle-shaped ness that sweeps round southwards, with wild gardens running down in the rocks to the water’s edge, and behind the castle a wood of holm-oaks making a wind-break against the north."
— 1958, Eric Rücker Eddison, Zimiamvian Trilogy, volume 3, The Mezentian Gate, page 177:
Explore More C1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
The old castle stood on a rocky ____ that jutted far into the sea.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
The suffix -____ is often added to adjectives to form abstract nouns in English.