*nois*

‖n. [ F. ] 1. Chinese conduct, art, decoration, or the like; also, a specimen of Chinese manners, art, decoration, etc. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

2. a style in art reflecting Chinese influence, being elaborately decorated and intricately patterned. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. [ F. connaisseur, formerly connoisseur, fr. connaître to know, fr. L. cognoscere to become acquainted with; co- + noscere, gnoscere, to learn to know. See Know, and cf. Cognizor. ] One well versed in any subject; a skillful or knowing person; a critical judge of any art, particulary of one of the fine arts. [ 1913 Webster ]

The connoisseur is “one who knows, ” as opposed to the dilettant, who only “thinks he knows.” Fairholt. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. State of being a connoisseur. [ 1913 Webster ]

n., n. (Her.) See Note under Ermine, n., 4. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. sing. & pl. (Ethnol.) A tribe of North American Indians, which formerly occupied the region between the Wabash and Mississippi rivers. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ F. noise noisy strife, quarrel, brawl, fr. L. nausea seasickness, sickness, disgust. See Nausea. ] 1. Sound of any kind. [ 1913 Webster ]

The heavens turn about in a most rapid motion without noise
to us perceived. Bacon. [ 1913 Webster ]

☞ Noise is either a sound of too short a duration to be determined, like the report of a cannon; or else it is a confused mixture of many discordant sounds, like the rolling of thunder or the noise of the waves. Nevertheless, the difference between sound and noise is by no means precise. Ganot. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Especially, loud, confused, or senseless sound; clamor; din. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Loud or continuous talk; general talk or discussion; rumor; report. “The noise goes.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

What noise have we had about transplantation of diseases and transfusion of blood! T. Baker. [ 1913 Webster ]

Socrates lived in Athens during the great plague which has made so much noise in all ages. Spectator. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. Music, in general; a concert; also, a company of musicians; a band. [ Obs. ] Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

The king has his noise of gypsies. B. Jonson. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Cry; outcry; clamor; din; clatter; uproar. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. To sound; to make a noise. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Noised p pr. & vb. n. Noising. ] 1. To spread by rumor or report. [ 1913 Webster ]

All these sayings were noised abroad. Luke i. 65. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To disturb with noise. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Loud; clamorous. [ Obs. ] Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Making, or causing, no noise or bustle; without noise; silent; as, the noiseless foot of time. [ 1913 Webster ]

So noiseless would I live. Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Noise"less*ly, adv. -- Noise"less*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. Any device (such as a clapper or bell or horn) used to make a loud noise at a celebration. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. (Bot.) A hybrid rose produced in 1817, by a French gardener, Noisette, of Charleston, South Carolina, from the China rose and the musk rose. It has given rise to many fine varieties, as the Lamarque, the Marechal (or Marshal) Niel, and the Cloth of gold. Most roses of this class have clustered flowers and are of vigorous growth. P. Henderson. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a noisy manner. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. The state or quality of being noisy. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ For noysome, fr. noy for annoy. See Annoy. ] 1. Noxious to health; hurtful; mischievous; unwholesome; insalubrious; destructive; as, noisome effluvia. “Noisome pestilence.” Ps. xci. 3. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Offensive to the smell or other senses; disgusting; fetid. “Foul breath is noisome.” Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

-- Noi"some*ly, adv. -- Noi"some*ness, n. [ 1913 Webster ]

Syn. -- Noxious; unwholesome; insalubrious; mischievous; destructive. -- Noisome, Noxious. These words have to a great extent been interchanged; but there is a tendency to make a distinction between them, applying noxious to things that inflict evil directly; as, a noxious plant, noxious practices, etc., and noisome to things that operate with a remoter influence; as, noisome vapors, a noisome pestilence, etc. Noisome has the additional sense of disqusting. A garden may be free from noxious weeds or animals; but, if recently covered with manure, it may be filled with a noisome smell. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Compar. Noisier superl. Noisiest. ] [ From Noise. ] 1. Making a noise, esp. a loud sound; clamorous; vociferous; turbulent; boisterous; as, the noisy crowd. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Full of noise. “The noisy town.” Dryden. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To exceed in noise; to surpass in noisiness. [ R. ] Fuller. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. To overpower by noise. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. [ Pan- + Gr. &unr_; an egg. ] (Zool.) Producing ova only; -- said of the ovaries of certain insects which do not produce vitelligenous cells. [ 1913 Webster ]

{ } n. [ F. See Recognizance. ] The act of reconnoitering; preliminary examination or survey. Specifically: (a) (Geol.) An examination or survey of a region in reference to its general geological character. (b) (Engin.) An examination of a region as to its general natural features, preparatory to a more particular survey for the purposes of triangulation, or of determining the location of a public work. (c) (Mil.) An examination of a territory, or of an enemy's position, for the purpose of obtaining information necessary for directing military operations; a preparatory expedition. [ 1913 Webster ]

Reconnoissance in force (Mil.), a demonstration or attack by a large force of troops for the purpose of discovering the position and strength of an enemy. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Electronics, Information science, Experimental science) The ratio of the intensity of a signal{ 2 } to the background noise detected by a measuring instrument, especially in a communications channel; the higher the ratio, the more accurately the information contained can be interpreted. The term is applied not only to human communications, but to the detection of information in any system that is being studied to gain knowledge; as, the signal-to-noise ratio of light signals in older optic fibers drops to an unusable level after several miles.. [ PJC ]

‖n. [ F., belonging to Tours in France. ] A former French money of account worth 20 sous, or a franc. It was thus called in distinction from the Paris livre, which contained 25 sous. [ 1913 Webster ]