Standard Lemma guide
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
Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.
name
A female given name in continuous use since the 19th century.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
The Babylonian goddess of the watery deep, daughter of Ea.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
name
Ellipsis of Nina from Pasadena.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, ellipsis
Topics: dice, gambling, games
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Alternative letter-case form of nina (“a hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: alt-of
Qualifier: crosswording
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A hidden message revealed in the completed grid of a crossword.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: crosswording
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A NINA loan.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: business, finance
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
phrase
Initialism of no Irish need apply (in job advertisements).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: abbreviation, alt-of, historical, initialism
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
the Babylonian goddess of the watery deep and daughter of Ea
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: Semitic deity
History
Borrowed into English in the nineteenth century, apparently from several sources. Many borrowings are of Russian Ни́на (Nína), the name of a Georgian saint in the fourth century, also known as Nino, of obscure origin and meaning, possibly connected with the Assyrian king Ninus. Others are of an Italian short form of diminutives like Annina from Anna and Giovannina from Giovanna. Phonologically or orthographically similar names are present in several languages, including Afrikaans, Hindi, Italian, Persian, Romanian, Russian, Spanish and some Native American languages. In many of those, it is a nickname for names ending in -ina or -nina. (hidden message in crossword): After Nina Hirschfeld, the daughter of the American caricaturist Al Hirschfeld; her name was often concealed in his drawings.
From the name Nina, taken from the cartoonist Al Hirschfeld's habit of hiding his daughter Nina's name in his drawings.
See NINA loan.
Across languages
19 source translations are retained for this English entry.
