Definition of nay
(Entry 1 of 2)
1
old-fashioned + literary
—used to correct what has just been said by replacing a word with one that is more accurate or appropriate The letter made him happy, nay, ecstatic.Joseph was an elderly, nay, an old man—very old, perhaps, though hale and sinewy.— Emily Brontë… bodies of work that have shown themselves to be crucial to an understanding of the art—nay, the culture—of our times.— Carter Ratcliff
2
old-fashioned
: no
Only one councillor voted nay on the proposal. I dare not say him nay. [=I dare not say no to him] … he was young and too good-natured to say nay to any woman who wooed him.— Samuel Butler "Gold digging, sir?" "Nay, sir," answered I, starting, "I was merely—ahem!—merely—I say I was merely digging-round my chimney."— Herman Melville
nay
nounDefinition of nay (Entry 2 of 2)
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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Time Traveler for nay
The first known use of nay was in the 13th century
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