nix

1. colloquialuncountableNothing.First known use 1789

   "That's a clean lift from Kipling—or is it Conan Doyle? Anyway, I've read something just like it before. Say, kid, guess what these magazine guys get for a full page ad.? Nix. That's just like a woman. Three thousand straight. Fact."

   1912, Edna Ferber, “Maymeys from Cuba”, in Buttered Side Down

   1 more example

   "I can take you down, Miss Conover, but I cannot take Mr. Hawksley. When the boss gives me an order I obey it—if I possibly can. On the day the boss tells me you can go strolling, I'll give you the key to the city. Until then, nix! No use arguing, Mr. Hawksley."

   1920, Harold MacGrath, chapter 26, in The Drums of Jeopardy

   Synonyms: nada, zip

present singular third person nixes · participle present nixing · participle past nixed · past nixed

1. To make something become nothing; to reject or cancel.First known use 1903

   Nix the last order – the customer walked out.

   4 more examples

   Sticks Nix Hick Pix [headline]

   1935 July 17, “Sticks Nix Hick Pix”, in Variety, volume 119, number 5, page 1

   1977-1980, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure He said his roommate had reacted favorably & said he "wanted to share the bed" with him! So I figured that nixed me out of the picture at least for now.

   The move came less than six months after Jobs had nixed the spin-off of Newton Inc. as an independent company and brought it back inside Apple (see “The Fallen Apple,” page 143).

   1999, Owen W. Linzmayer, Apple Confidential, San Francisco: No Starch Press, →ISBN, page 242

   At work Mr. Burns spies Homer munching complacently on a donut and hisses that each donut Homer shoves into his fat face brings him one donut closer to the poisoned donut Mr. Burns has ordered thrown into the mix as a form of culinary Russian Roulette, only to learn from Smithers that the plant’s lawyers ultimately nixed the poisoned donut plan because “they consider it murder.”

   2012 June 17, Nathan Rabin, “TV: Review: THE SIMPSONS (CLASSIC): “Homer’s Triple Bypass” (season 4, episode 11; originally aired 12/17/1992)”, in The Onion AV Club, archived from the original on 20 Jun 2012

   Synonyms: cancel, reject

2. To destroy or eradicate.

1. No! Not at all!

   "Ugh! An inventor, eh?" "Nix! He's not an inventor himself, but he antes-up for 'em."

   1916 January 28, The Electrical Experimenter, New York, page 472, column 2

2. obsoleteA warning cry when a policeman or schoolmaster etc. was seen approaching.

plural nixes

1. A treacherous water-spirit

   A girl from a village near Lei[zig was one time at service in the house of a Nix.

   1828, Thomas Keightley, The Fairy Mythology, volume II, London: William Harrison Ainsworth, page 70

   2 more examples

   According to some traditions, the Nix has slit ears, and is also to be known by his feet, which he does not willingly let be seen. Other traditions give the Nix a human body terminating in a fish's tail, or a complete fish's form. They are clothed like human beings, but the water-wives may be known by the wet hem of their apron, or the wet border of their robe.

   1851, Benjamin Thorpe, Northern Mythology, volume I, London: Edward Lumley, page 246

   The beautiful Nix or Nixie who allures the young fisher or hunter to seek her embraces in the wave which brings his death, the Neck who seizes upon and drowns the maidens who sport upon his banks, the river-spirit who still yearly in some parts of Germany demands tribute of human life, are all forms of the ancient Nicor[.]

   1876, John Mitchell Kemble, The Saxons in England: A History of the English Commonwealth Till the Period of the Norman Conquest, volume I, London: Bernard Quaritch, page 391

1. astronomyOne of the moons of Pluto (named 21 June 2006.)

   Synonyms: Pluto III, S, 2005 P 2, S, 2005 P 2, Pluto III Nix, Pluto III

1. A surname originating as a patronymic.

1. ball gamesWellington Phoenix FC (a football club based in Wellington, New Zealand competing in the Australian A-League)