different between ninety vs nicety

English

Etymology

From Middle English nynety, ninty, nineti, nigneti, from Old English hundni?onti?, from Proto-Germanic *newunt?hund? (“ninety”), equivalent to nine +? -ty. Cognate with Scots nynty, nynety (“ninety”), Saterland Frisian njuugentich (“ninety”), West Frisian njoggentich (“ninety”), Dutch negentig (“ninety”), German Low German negentig (“ninety”), German neunzig (“ninety”), Swedish nittio (“ninety”), Norwegian Bokmål nitti (“ninety”), Norwegian Nynorsk nitti (“ninety”), Icelandic níutíu (“ninety”).

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?na?n.ti/
• (General American) IPA^(key): /?na?n.di/, /?na?n.ti/

Numeral

ninety

1. The cardinal number occurring after eighty-nine and before ninety-one, represented in Roman numerals as XC and in Arabic numerals as 90.

Synonyms

• Arabic numerals: 90
• Roman numerals: XC

Related terms

• Ordinal: ninetieth

Translations

See also

• Last: eighty-nine, eighty
• Next: ninety-one, hundred

Anagrams

• Tinney

English

Etymology

From Middle English nicetee, from Old French niceté (“simpleness, foolishness”), from nice (“simple, foolish”); equivalent to nice +? -ity.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?na?s?ti/

Noun

nicety (countable and uncountable, plural niceties)

1. A small detail or distinction.

   We met the new captain while we were taking enemy fire and were unable to observe the niceties of formal introductions.

   • the fineness and niceties of words

2. Subtlety or precision of use.

   A rocket-propelled grenade doesn't have the nicety of a sniper round, but you must admit its effectiveness.

3. Delicacy of character or feeling usually from excessive refinement; fastidiousness
4. (obsolete) That which is delicate to the taste.

Derived terms

• to a nicety

Translations

Further reading

• nicety in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• nicety in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• nicety at OneLook Dictionary Search