nosy
Part of speech: adj
noun
verb
Morphological type: derivation
Etymology: Etymology tree
English nose
Proto-Indo-European *-kos
Proto-Germanic *-gaz
Proto-West Germanic *-g
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English nose
Old English -iġ
Middle English -y
English -y
English nosy
From nose + -y (adjectival suffix), or from nose + -y (diminutive suffix).
Inflected forms:
form: nosier
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: more nosy
pos: adj
tags: comparative
form: nosiest
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: most nosy
pos: adj
tags: superlative
form: nosey
pos: adj
tags: alternative
form: nosies
pos: noun
tags: plural
form: nosey
pos: noun
tags: alternative
form: nosies
pos: verb
tags: present
singular
third-person
form: nosying
pos: verb
tags: participle
present
form: nosied
pos: verb
tags: participle
past
form: nosied
pos: verb
tags: past
form: nosey
pos: verb
tags: alternative
Senses:
gloss: Prying, inquisitive or curious in other’s affairs; tending to snoop or meddle.
pos: adj
examples: They built tall fences, yet the nosy neighbors always seemed to know everything about them.
Before even considering such a conversation, ask yourself why you want to know, Casares advises. “Are you asking because you feel jealous of that person?” she says. “Are you asking because you also want to go on a GLP-1, or are you asking because you’re nosy and need to know what’s going on in everybody else’s life?”
gloss: Having a large or elongated nose.
pos: adj
examples: "Look at you, a handsome man of thirty, with thick brown hair and a nosy nose and enormous feet and hands that can drive a team of horses or a yoke of oxen or," she hesitated in a brief shyness, and then went on, "a loving wife."
She had the same sort of handsome, square-cut features as Timothy, with the difference that her nose was small and short — it was obvious that Timothy got his thick dark hair, his brown eyes and his nosy nose from his father, that vigorous impresario who had died suddenly of a heart-attack, his first, two years before the War began.
The problem is particularly acute in caricature when a variety of divergent features is forced into a precarious union, when a "nosy" nose is trying to get along with a hesitant mouth and vigilant eyebrows.
Nosy in his looks by the large hooked proboscis, which dominated his face, as well as by character, Ebenezer wanted, perhaps even needed, to know everyone's business.
gloss: A look at something to satisfy one's curiosity.
pos: noun
tags: UK
slang
examples: I might wander down to the construction site for a nosy at what they're building.
gloss: A nose.
pos: noun
tags: childish
rare
examples: There was a little Rosy, / And she had a little nosy; / And she made a little posy, / All pink and white and green. / And she said, “Little nosy, / Will you smell my little posy? / For of all the flowers that growsy, / Such sweet ones ne’er were seen.” / So she took the little posy, / And she put it to her nosy, / On her little face so rosy, / The flowers for to smell; […]
It’s this time of year when you’re warm and cozy and white snowflakes fall on your little nosy.
Who’s my little mouse? Whose little nosy is this? Who has the biggest eyesies in Agramstadt?
She pretended to pull off his nose and then held her fist in front of Michael’s face, her thumb peeping out between her fingers. ‘There – I’ve got your nose now!’ […] She pressed her thumb onto his little face. ‘Here’s your little nosy, back safe and sound between your rosy cheeks,’ she said.
gloss: To pry into something.
pos: verb
tags: informal
examples: My brother always nosies into my diary.
Synonyms: interfering
kibitzing
meddlesome
Derived words: nosily
nosiness
nosybody
nosy Nancy
nosy parker
nosey parker
Translations: