name · noun · 9 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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nĕs
/nɛs/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛs
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
Australia:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:N EH1 S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
name
Meaning 1
An 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.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
7
name
Meaning 7
A surname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
8
noun
Meaning 8
A promontory; a cape or headland. (Frequently used as a suffix in placenames.)
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: geography, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
9
noun
Meaning 9
a strip of land projecting into a body of water
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: cape
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: land, dry land, earth, ground, solid ground, terra firma
Narrower terms: spit, tongue, Cape Horn, Lindesnes, Naze, Cape Passero, Passero Cape, Cape of Good Hope, Cape May, Cape Fear, Cape Flattery, Cape Froward, Cape Hatteras, Cape Sable, Cape Trafalgar, Cape York, Hook of Holland, Hoek van Holland, Skagens Odde, Skaw
History
Etymology
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”)).
From Middle English nesse (in placenames), from Old English næs, from Proto-Germanic *nasją (“promontory; ness”); cognate with Middle Low German nes, Icelandic nes, Swedish näs, Danish næs, Old Norse nes. Related to nose.
Across languages
Translations
14 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Armenian:
հրվանդան
(hrvandan)
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Bulgarian:
нос
(nos)
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Danish:
næs
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Faroese:
nes
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Finnish:
niemi
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Finnish:
nokka
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Icelandic:
nes
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Ingrian:
nenä
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Macedonian:
нос
(nos)
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Macedonian:
'рт
('rt)
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Norwegian:
nes
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Polish:
cypel
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Polish:
przylądek
— a promontory; a cape or headland
Russian:
мыс
(mys)
— a promontory; a cape or headland
