Search results
- Dictionarynebby/ˈnɛbi/
adjective
- 1. overly inquisitive; nosy: Scottish, Northern English "the occasional nebby passerby has poked in to observe"
Powered by Oxford Dictionaries
1. dialectal : rudely inquisitive : meddlesome. 2. dialectal, British : sharp-natured : spiteful. Word History. Etymology. neb + -y. Love words? You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.
Aug 7, 2022 · Nebby is a slang term for nosey or meddlesome, or a Pokémon character. Learn about its origin, spread and usage online, and see examples and external resources.
Jun 11, 2008 · Means to be "nosey", poking into other people's business. It's derived from Old English neb, a bird's beak. Related to nib, the fountain pen tip that's shaped like a bird's beak. To be nebby is to be continuously poking around, exploring, as a bird does.
Oct 10, 2020 · The term nebby, meaning meddlesome or nosy, literally derives from the word neb, or “nose,” a term that’s been around in English for more than a thousand years. Despite what you might guess, nebby is unrelated to the Yiddish word nebbish , meaning “a timid or ineffectual person.”
Jul 10, 2022 · Nebby is an adjective meaning overly inquiring or nosey, derived from neb (face, nose, beak) and -y. It is used in Geordie, Western Pennsylvania, Scotland and Northumberland dialects.
There are two meanings listed in OED's entry for the adjective nebby. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. This word is used in northern English regional dialect, northern Irish English, and Scottish English.
Dec 26, 2007 · Nebby and nibby are regional terms in Western Pennsylvania and Northern England for a person who pokes his nose into someone else's business. They are derived from an old Germanic word for beak or nose.
