and not only so but; not only that but also; indeed: many good, nay, noble qualities.
Archaic. no (used in dissent, denial, or refusal).
a denial or refusal.
a negative vote or voter.
Origin of nay
1125–75; Middle English nai, nei
< Old Norse nei
no, contraction of ne
not + ei
ever; see na
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for nays
Contemporary Examples of nays
Historical Examples of nays
The Senate refused to concur in the action of the House by 11 yeas, 15 nays.
The bill was lost by a vote, including pairs, of 12 yeas, 25 nays.
The bill for Municipal Suffrage was then defeated by 14 yeas, 24 nays.
After much discussion the bill was defeated by 137 yeas, 97 nays.
The former reached a vote and was defeated by 24 yeas, 27 nays.
British Dictionary definitions for nays
mainly archaic, or dialect an archaic or dialect (except in voting by voice) word for no 1
- a person who votes in the negative
- a negative vote
(sentence modifier) archaic an emphatic form of no 1
Word Origin for nay
C12: from Old Norse nei, from ne not + ei ever, ay 1
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for nays
word of negation, late 12c., from a Scandinavian source, cf. Old Norse nei, compound of ne "not" (see un-) + ei "ever" (see aye (2)).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper