not

not

adv \ˈnät\

Definition of NOT

1

—used as a function word to make negative a group of words or a word

2

—used as a function word to stand for the negative of a preceding group of words <is sometimes hard to see and sometimes not>

Examples of NOT

1. He was standing not six feet away from me.
2. The bullet passed not five inches from my head!

Origin of NOT

Middle English, alteration of nought, from nought, pron. — more at naught

First Known Use: 13th century

Rhymes with NOT

aught, baht, blot, bot, clot, cot, dot, ghat, grot, hot, jot, khat, knot, kyat, lot, lotte, Mott, motte, naught, plot, pot, rot, scot, Scot, shot, skat, slot, snot, sot, spot, squat, stot, swat, swot, tot, trot, watt, Watt, what, wot, yacht