Definition of not

What does the word not mean?

• part of speech: noun

  (see below), adv. negativing& following ordinary verbs (archaic for usu. neg. form with do; I know n.; I doubt n.; say n. so; fear n.; saidst thou n.?); (often n\'t attached to word) negativing auxiliaries& vb be, & following them or (in questions having not in full) their subjects (I cannot or can\'t say; he will n. or won\'t, or archaic he\'ll n., come; she is n., isn\'t, or vulg. aint, here; do n., or usu. don\'t, stir; didn\'t you, or formally did you n., tell me?; am In., or aint I, aren\'t we, smart?); negativing& preceding participles& infinitives (n. knowing, I cannot say; begged him n. to move); used elliptically for negative sentence or verb or phrase (Are you ill? N. at all. N. so. If it clears we will go out; if n., n. Popular or n., it is right. I would as soon do it as n.); preceding that with sense it is not to be inferred, however, that, or but what or (formal) but that or (archaic) but with sense all the same or nevertheless (If he said so-n. that he ever did-he lied. I cannot do it; n. but what&c. a stronger man might); preceding word &c. that is to be rejected for one that follows with but or to emphasize by contrast one already used (He is n. my son, but yours, or but my nephew. He is your son. n. or& n. mine); preceding emphatic appended pronoun (the Chinese will not fight, n. they); preceding a with sense n. one (not a hair of your head shall be touched); preceding in litotes or periphrasis a word of opposite sense to that required (n. a few, n. seldom; n. once or or nor twice, many times; n. unconnected with; n. reluctant, only too glad); n. at HOME; n.-being, non-existence; n. OUT; n.-self, = NON-ego; n. sufficient, or usu. N.S., banker\'s mark on dishonoured cheque.

• part of speech: noun

  (adv., slang), very, very much, (\'Was he annoyed?\' \'N. half\', i.e. yes, exceedingly).