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Definition: Nicholas |
NicholasNoun1. A bishop in Asia Minor who is associated with Santa Claus (4th century). Source: WordNet 1.7.1 Copyright © 2001 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. |
"Nicholas" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "a victory of the people". |
Date "Nicholas" was first used in popular English literature: sometime before 1321. (references) |
| Domain | Definition |
Literature | Nicholas (St.). The patron saint of boys, as St. Catherine is of girls. In Germany, a person assembles the children of a family or school on the 6th December (the eve of St. Nicholas), and distributes gilt nuts and sweetmeats; but if any naughty child is present, he receives the redoubtable punishment of the klaubauf. The same as Santa Claus and the Dutch Kriss Kringle (q.v.). (See Santa Klaus .) St. Nicholas. Patron saint of parish clerks. This is because he was the patron of scholars, who used to be called clerks. St. Nicholas. Patron saint of sailors, because he allayed a storm on a voyage to the Holy Land. St. Nicholas. The patron saint of Russia. St. Nicholas. The patron saint of Aberdeen. St. Nicholas, in Christian art, is represented in episcopal robes, and has either three purses or golden balls, or three children, as his distinctive symbols. The three purses are in allusion to the three purses given by him to three sisters to enable them to marry. The three children allude to the legend that an Asiatic gentleman sent his three boys to school at Athens, but told them to call on St. Nicholas for his benediction; they stopped at Myra for the night, and the innkeeper, to secure their baggage, murdered them in bed, and put their mangled bodies into a pickling-tub with some pork, intending to sell the whole as such. St. Nicholas had a vision of the whole affair, and went to the inn, when the man confessed the crime, and St. Nicholas raised the murdered boys to life again. (See Hone's Everyday Book, vol. i. col. 1556; Maitre Wace, Metrical Life of St. Nicholas. Clerks or Knights of St. Nicholas. Thieves; so called because St. Nicholas was their patron saint; not that he aided them in their wrong-doing, but because on one occasion he induced some thieves to restore their plunder. Probably St. Nicholas is simply a pun for Nick, and thieves may be called the devil's clerks or knights with much propriety. "I think yonder come prancing down the hills from Kingston a couple of St. Nicholas's clerks."- Rowley: Match at Midnight (1633). Source: Brewer's Dictionary. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Nicholas, or Nicolas Flamel, was a French alchemist who lived in the fifteenth century. His life is no myth: his house in Paris, built in 1407, still stands, at 51 rue de Montmorency, where it has been made into a restaurant. His deeds, though, are the stuff of legend.Flamel is supposed to have been the most accomplished of the European alchemists. It is claimed that he succeeded at the two magical goals of alchemy supposed to have been the chief aims of that pseudoscience: he made the Philosopher's Stone that turns lead into gold, and he and his wife Perenelle achieved immortality.
Flamel is supposed to have received a mysterious book from a stranger, full of qabalistic words, in Greek and Hebrew. Flamel made the understanding of this text of lost secrets his life's work, travelling to universities in Andalusia to consult with Jewish and Muslim authorities. In Spain, he met a mysterious master who taught him the art of understanding his manuscript.
After his return from Spain, Flamel was able to become rich: the knowledge that he gained during his travels made him a master of the alchemical art. Flamel became a philanthropist, endowing hospitals and churches with the proceeds from his alchemical work. He caused arcane alchemical signs to be written on a tombstone, which is preserved at the Musée de Cluny in Paris. His tomb is empty; some say it was sacked by people in search of his alchemical secrets. On the other hand, if he in fact achieved the secret of immortality, his empty tomb may have another explanation.
Nicholas Flamel's story is alluded to in the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (or, Sorcerer's Stone).
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Nicholas Flamel."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Russia under Nicholas I (Николай I Павлович) covers the period of Russian History following the wars and revolutionary movements of the three decades prior to 1825. The Russian state became reactionary and repressive in response.
Nicholas completely lacked his brother's spiritual and intellectual breadth; he saw his role simply as one paternal autocrat ruling his people by whatever means were necessary. Having experienced the trauma of the Decembrist Revolt, Nicholas I was determined to restrain Russian society. A secret police, the so-called Third Section, ran a huge network of spies and informers. The government exercised censorship and other controls over education, publishing, and all manifestations of public life. In 1833 the minister of education, Sergey Uvarov, devised a program of "autocracy, Orthodoxy, and nationality" as the guiding principle of the regime. The people were to show loyalty to the unlimited authority of the tsar, to the traditions of the Russian Orthodox Church, and, in a vague way, to the Russian nation. These principles did not gain the support of the population but instead led to repression in general and to suppression of non-Russian nationalities and religions in particular. For example, the government suppressed the Uniate Church in Ukraine and Belorussia in 1839.
The official emphasis on Russian nationalism contributed to a debate on Russia's place in the world, the meaning of Russian history, and the future of Russia. One group, the Westernizers, believed that Russia remained backward and primitive and could progress only through more thorough Europeanization. Another group, the Slavophiles, idealized the Russia that had existed before Peter the Great. The Slavophiles viewed old Russia as a source of wholeness and looked askance at Western rationalism and materialism. Some of them believed that the Russian peasant commune, or mir , offered an attractive alternative to Western capitalism and could make Russia a potential social and moral savior. The Slavophiles, therefore, represented a form of Russian messianism.
Despite the repressions of this period, Russia experienced a flowering of literature and the arts. Through the works of Aleksandr Pushkin, Nikolay Gogol', Ivan Turgenev, and numerous others, Russian literature gained international stature and recognition. Ballet took root in Russia after its importation from France, and classical music became firmly established with the compositions of Mikhail Glinka (1804-1857).
In foreign policy, Nicholas I acted as the protector of ruling legitimism and guardian against revolution. His offers to suppress revolution on the European continent, accepted in some instances, earned him the label of gendarme of Europe. In 1830, after a popular uprising had occurred in France, the Poles in Russian Poland revolted. Nicholas crushed the rebellion, abrogated the Polish constitution, and reduced Poland to the status of a Russian province. In 1848, when a series of revolutions convulsed Europe, Nicholas was in the forefront of reaction. In 1849 he intervened on behalf of the Habsburgs and helped suppress an uprising in Hungary, and he also urged Prussia not to accept a liberal constitution. Having helped conservative forces repel the specter of revolution, Nicholas I seemed to dominate Europe.
Russian dominance proved illusory, however. While Nicholas was attempting to maintain the status quo in Europe, he adopted an aggressive policy toward the Ottoman Empire. Nicholas I was following the traditional Russian policy of resolving the so-called Eastern Question by seeking to partition the Ottoman Empire and establish a protectorate over the Orthodox population of the Balkans, still largely under Ottoman control in the 1820s. Russia fought a successful war with the Ottomans in 1828 and 1829. In 1833 Russia negotiated the Treaty of Unkiar-Skelessi with the Ottoman Empire. The major European parties mistakenly believed that the treaty contained a secret clause granting Russia the right to send warships through the Bosporus and Dardanelles straits. By the London Straits Convention of 1841, they affirmed Ottoman control over the straits and forbade any power, including Russia, to send warships through the straits. Based on his role in suppressing the revolutions of 1848 and his mistaken belief that he had British diplomatic support, Nicholas moved against the Ottomans, who declared war on Russia in 1853. Fearing the results of an Ottoman defeat by Russia, in 1854 Britain and France joined what became known as the Crimean War on the Ottoman side. Austria offered the Ottomans diplomatic support, and Prussia remained neutral, leaving Russia without allies on the continent. The European allies landed in Crimea and laid siege to the well-fortified Russian base at Sevastopol. After a year's siege the base fell, exposing Russia's inability to defend a major fortification on its own soil. Nicholas I died before the fall of Sevastopol', but he already had recognized the failure of his regime. Russia now faced the choice of initiating major reforms or losing its status as a major European power.
Related Articles
This article is part of Imperial Russia, which is part of History of Russia.
References
The first draft of this article was taken with little editing from the Library of Congress Federal Research Division's Country Studies series. As their home page at http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/cshome.html says, "Information contained in the Country Studies On-Line is not copyrighted and thus is available for free and unrestricted use by researchers. As a courtesy, however, appropriate credit should be given to the series." Please leave this statement intact so that credit can be given.
Preceded by:
Alexander IList of Russian Tsars Succeeded by:
Alexander IISource: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Nicholas I of Russia."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Nicholas II, Nicholas Alexandrovich Romanov, Russian: Nikolai II (Николай II Александрович) (6 May 1868 (O.S.) = 18 May 1868 (N.S.) - 4 July 1918 (O.S.) = 17 July 1918 (N.S.)) was the last reigning Emperor of Russia and of the Romanov Dynasty. He ruled from November 1, 1894 until his abdication on March 15, 1917, and was killed with his family in 1918. Though the title of Tsar was officially abolished in 1721 by Peter the Great, the title Tsar (occasionally spelled czar) was used right down until the abolition of the monarchy.
The son of Russian Tsar Alexander III and Empress Marie Romanova (born Princess Dagmar of Denmark), he was the grandson of Christian IX of Denmark through his mother, and of Tsar Alexander II through his father.
Married in 1894 to Princess Alix of Hesse-Darmstadt (henceforth Empress Alexandra Romanova), a granddaughter of Queen Victoria, he was father to Grand Duchesses Olga, Tatiana, Maria (or Marie), Anastasia, and Tsarevich Alexei.
Nicholas assumed the throne in 1894, on the death of his father. He had not been well prepared to rule the land in the state it was at the time of his ascention. Russia was in turmoil, which was organized by undercover Bolshevik agents, and his decrees and orders quite often met with resistance in the upper layers of the government, especially in the Russian Duma or parliament. His father also died at a fairly young age, leaving Nicholas unprepared for his future tasks. His engagement to Princess Alix only slightly preceded his father's death, and his wedding came very shortly after the last ceremony of his father's funeral. He then faced the task of being autocrat of Russia in a time of major turmoil - a turmoil which would continue well beyond his death.
He relied heavily on the advice of his wife's first cousin, Kaiser Wilhelm - advice which was not so much in his own best interest as in that of "cousin Willy", who hoped in particular to prevent closer relations between Russia and Britain. An ill-conceived war with Japan (1904-1905) cost Russia dearly, but fear of a wider conflagration contributed ironically to the very Anglo-Russian Entente which Wilhelm feared.
In addition to a tumultuous international situation, Nicholas also faced deep domestic difficulties. His grandfather, Tsar Alexander II, had been assassinated by a bomb set by revolutionaries, even though he did much to improve the existing situation in the country. However, the purpose of the revolutionaries was to achieve power not through the existing regime, but by toppling it altogether, as the Russian Revolution clearly proved. As a child, Nicholas' entire family survived an assassination attempt by a bomb on a train. Defeat by Japan emboldened the regime's internal opponents, unleashing the Russian Revolution of 1905 during which organized strikes and local uprisings forced Nicholas to concede an indirectly-elected national assembly, or Duma, on October 30.
Further complicating domestic matters was the matter of succession. Alexandra bore him four daughters before their son, Alexei, was born on August 12, 1904. The young heir proved to be afflicted with hemophilia, which, at that time was virtually untreatable and usually led to untimely death. With the fragility the autocracy was experiencing at this time, Nicholas and Alexandra chose to not divulge Alexei's condition to anyone outside the royal household.
In desperation, Alexandra sought help from a wandering mystic known as Grigori Rasputin. Rasputin seemed to be able to help when Alexei was suffering from internal bleeding, and Alexandra became increasingly dependent on Rasputin and his advice (which she accepted as coming directly from God through him). However, she had no influence over Nicholas in state matters, as some historians have tried to point out. There is absolutely no evidence of her influencing any of Nicholas' decisions of state.
The outbreak of war with Germany on August 1, 1914, found Russia grossly unprepared, and an early advance ended in staggering Russian losses. Nicholas felt it his duty to lead his army directly, assuming the role of commander-in-chief (September 1915) following the loss of the Russian-ruled part of Poland. His efforts to oversee the operations of the war left domestic issues essentially in the hands of Alexandra. But Nicholas did not understand (since he had little input from the common people) how suspicious the common people were of his wife, both because she was German by birth and because of the destructive rumours the Bolsheviks have spread of her dependence on Rasputin. Rasputin's death at the hands of a group of courtiers (December 1916) was a direct result of those rumours.
Mounting national hardship and the army's initial failure to maintain the temporary military success of June 1916 led to renewed strikes and riots in the following winter. After the "February Revolution" of March 1917 (February in the existing Russian calendar) Nicholas was forced to abdicate in his own name and that of his too ill to rule son Alexei in favor of Nicholas' brother, Michael II, who abdicated after a matter of hours, ending three centuries of Romanov rule. Let it be noted here that the abdication was executed by a group of the aristocratic elite, inspired by the leftist members of the Duma and led by the general Alekseyev, whom Nicholas considered to be his right-hand army commander. It was Alekseyev's direct rebellion against orders which had installed the propagandized and leftist reserve soldiers in St. Petersburg in February, and who were not moved to a different location contrary to Nicholas' order, essentially demoralizing the government.
Nicholas, Alexandra, and their five children remained confined in the royal residence The Alexander Palace, with decreasing staff until they were moved to Tobolsk in Siberia in August 1917, a step by Kerensky government to remove them from their residence in Tsarskoe Selo and essentially further from the centers of power and possible help. In spite of Britain's numerous proposals to arrange passage of the Imperial Family to Britain, they were denied it in each and every case, thus sealing the fate that was to follow. They remained in Tobolsk until after the Bolshevik Revolution in November 1917 (the "October Revolution"), but were moved to Soviet-controlled Ekaterinburg. The last Russian Czar and all his family, including the gravely ill Prince Aleksey were brutally murdered in the basement of the Ipatiev House where they had been imprisoned in on the night of July 16 (or 17), 1918 by a band of Bolsheviks led by Yakov Yurovsky.
For a long time, the bodies were believed to have been disposed of down a mineshaft at a site called the Four Brothers. Initially, this was true - they had indeed been disposed of that way on the night of July 16/17. But Yurovsky , upon hearing the following morning that stories were abuzz in Ekaterinburg about the disposal site , went back to remove the bodies and conceal them elsewhere. He has initially intended to bury the bodies down another mineshaft some miles away, but when the vehicle carrying the bodies broke down on the way there, he made new arrangements. With two exceptions, the bodies were buried in a sealed and concealed pit on a portion of a since-abandoned cart track 12 miles north of Ekaterinburg called Koptyaki Road.
In the early 1990s, the bodies were located, exhumed and formally identified, following the fall of the Soviet Union. A secret confession by Yurovsky, which came to light in the late 1970s, but did not become public knowledge until the 1990s, helped this to happen. DNA analysis was a key means of identifying them. A single blood sample from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh was used to identify Alexandra and her daughters through their mitrochondial genes. Another method for identification was a controversially untested super-imposition of photos over skulls. The Russian Orthodox Churches in Russia and Abroad strongly contest the claim that the bodies were those of the Imperial Family, because there is indeed very little undisputable evidence to that end.
There were two bodies missing. These were Alexei and one of the daughters - Tatiana, Maria or Anastasia. According to Yurovsky's account, the bodies of Alexei and one of the daughters, mistaken by Yurovsky's band for Alexandra, were burnt near the burial site and their ashes scattered and concealed.
Following a long series of bureaucratic and political delays, the purported remains of the family were reinterred in the Romanov family crypt in 1998 on the 80th anniversary of their murder. However, controversy over the remains continues to grow.
Life dramatized as Nicholas and Alexandra.
Preceded by:
Alexander IIIList of Russian Tsars Nicholas abdicated in favour of his brother, who is sometimes referred to as Michael II but who only reigned for a day before abdicating without naming an heir. Nicholas was effectively the last Tsar. Web Links
- Alexander Palace - a collection of many articles, along with now out-of-print books.
- List of sites dealing with this Tsar
Additional Reading
- Robert K. Massie, Nicholas and Alexandra (1967)
- John Curtis Perry and Constantine Pleshakov, The Flight of the Romanovs (1999)
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Nicholas II of Russia."
(From Wikipedia, the free Encyclopedia)
Saint Nicholas, also known as Nikolaus in Germany and Sinterklaas in the Netherlands, is festivity for children related to the historical person Nicholas of Myra, who had a reputation for secret gift-giving. The American and British Santa Claus derives from it as it is just a degeneration of the Dutch word "Sinterklaas".The history of the celebrations is complex and reflects the conflicts between Protestantism and Catholicism. Since Nicholas was a Catholic saint, Martin Luther replaced the Catholic festivity with a "Christkind" (Christ child) celebration on Christmas Eve. The Nicholas celebrations still remain a part of tradition among many Protestants, however, albeit on a much lower scale than Christmas. The Protestant Netherlands, however, retain a much larger Saint Nicholas tradition. Many Catholics, on the other hand, have adopted Luther's Christkind.
Celebration in Germany, Austria, and German Switzerland
In Germany, Nikolaus is usually celebrated on a small scale. Many children put a boot, called Nikolaus-Stiefel, outside their front doors on the night of December 5 to December 6. St. Nicholas fills the boot with gifts, and at the same time checks up on the children to see if they were good. If they were not, they will have charcoal in their boots instead. Sometimes a disguised Nikolaus also visits the children at school or in their homes and asks them if they "have been good" (sometimes ostensibly checking a book for their record), handing out presents on a per-behavior basis. This has become more lenient in recent decades.
But for many children, Nikolaus also elicited fear, as he was often accompanied by the sinister figure of Knecht Ruprecht, who would threaten to beat or sometimes actually beat the children for perceived misbehavior. In Switzerland, he would threaten to put bad children in a sack and take them back to the Black Forest. These traditions were implemented more rigidly in Catholic countries such as Austria. In highly Catholic regions, the local priest was informed by the parents about their children's behavior and would then personally visit the homes in the traditional Christian garment and even threaten them with rod-beatings. In parts of Austria, Krampusse, whom local tradition says are Nikolaus's helpers (in reality, typically children of poor families), roamed the streets during the festival. They wore masks and dragged chains behind them, even occasionally hurling them towards children in their way. These Krampusläufe (Krampus runs) still exist, although perhaps less violent than in the past.
Celebration in the Netherlands
For small children in the Netherlands, St. Nicholas eve is even more important than Christmas (the Dutch celebrate Christmas Eve with Santa as well, but it is more for the older children and grownups).
On the evening of each 5th of December, Saint Nicholas brings presents to every child which has been nice (in practice to all children). St. Nicholas, wearing a red bishop's dress including a red bishop's mitre rides, so the story goes, on a white horse over the rooftops of houses and is helped by his countless helpers, who have charcoal black faces and colorful Moorish dresses that date back two centuries. His helpers are called 'zwarte pieten' (black peters).
St. Nicholas himself has a long white beard, and holds a long gold colored staff with a fanciful curled top in his hand.
Each year St. Nicholas arrives by boat from 'Spain', and is then paraded through the streets of the town he arrives in (in actuality in each town of the Netherlands) welcomed by cheering children. His black peters throw hands full of candy and very small specially made round, hard cookies (Pepernoten) into the crowd. The children welcome him by singing traditional St. Nicholas songs. St. Nicholas also visits schools and shopping malls.
In the weeks before the 5th of December children can put their shoes in the hallway (traditionally before the stove) with a carrot or some hay in it for St. Nicholas' horse, in the evening, and will find a piece of candy (a piece of marzipan, an animal made out of sugar or a chocolate frog) in their shoes. Traditionally it was said that Black Peter would enter the house through the chimney, which also explained his black face and hands, and would leave a bundle of sticks (called "roe") in the shoe instead of candy when the child had not been nice. Children are also told that when they behave very badly they will be put into the sack black peter carries the presents in and will be taken back to Spain.
At the evening (or late afternoon) of the 5th of December children at home sing a song and suddenly the doorbell rings, and when they go to the door a gunny sack full of presents is found on the doorstep. Alternatively (some improvisation is often called for) the parents 'hear a sound coming from the attic' and then the presents are 'found there.
Typical presents include the first letter of the child's name made out of chocolate, a figurine of St. Nicholas made out of chocolate and wrapped in painted aluminum foil, and colored marzipan shaped into fruit, an animal or some other object. Also popular are coins and cigarettes made out of chocolate. However, the European Parliament has issued a recommendation to ban chocolate cigarettes since they might promote future real smoking.
Believing
The children, up to an age of usually seven or eight years, really believe in Sinterklaas. They think that he actually lives forever and that he comes from Spain, that he knows everything about the children and that his Zwarte Pieten crawl through chimneys. The period between his arrival and December 5 is therefore very exciting.
When children ask their parents how it can be that Sinterklaas is at so many places, they tell that he has 'Hulp' (assistent) Sinterklasen. Further, parents report in advance to the Sinterklaas at their family-gathering what the children have done good and wrong, so it looks like when the 'Goedheiligman' looks in his book, he knows everything.
For those small children, telling them at a certain age that Sinterklaas in reality doesn't exist, is the first big disappointment. There are some people who don't let their children believe in Sinterklaas, because they think it is not good to lie in general. But the common opinion is that the enjoyment for the children get is greater than this small discomfort.
Celebration in Belgium
Originally Sinterklaas or Sint-Nikolaas was only celebrated in Flanders and the Netherlands the way described above, but now he is celebrated in Walloonia too the same way. The celebrating of Saint-Nicholas is mostly the same as in the Netherlands but there are some small differences.
Note that Saint Nicholaas is celebrated in Belgium for centuries -there is even a city called St. Niklaas but, like every folkloristic thing in Belgium, their might be small differences, and generally in the east part of the Provincie East-Flanders Saint Nicholaas isn't celebrated but children receive precents from Sint Maarten (Saint Martin).
- Three weeks before the sixt of december he arives with his boat from Spain in Antwerp (being even a topic in the evening news).
- Most important different, In Belgium the children receive their presents the 6th december. Children have to put their shoes at the stove the evening of the fifth december and the next morning, they find their presents.
Celebration in the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan
See Santa Claus
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia under a copyleft GNU Free Documentation License (GFDL) from the article "Saint Nicholas."
Synonyms: NicholasSynonyms: Saint Nicholas (n), St Nicholas (n). (additional references) |
| Synonym by domain: George NicholAS PROduct (medicine). |
Crosswords: Nicholas |
| English words defined with "Nicholas": Aleksandr Feodorovich Kerensky ♦ February Revolution ♦ Grigori Efimovich Rasputin ♦ Herrnhuter ♦ Kerensky ♦ Rasputin, Russian Revolution. (references) |
| Specialty definitions using "Nicholas": Balls, Belvawney ♦ Chicken of St. Nicholas, CLOSH, Copernicanism, Creature-comforts ♦ Do-the-Boys' Hall ♦ Gonville College ♦ Isidorian Decretals ♦ Knights of the Shell ♦ Loaf held in the Hand ♦ Manna of St. Nicholas of Bari, Mantalini, Mutantur ♦ Nickleby, Nicolas, Noah's Wife ♦ Pancras, Poets Laureate ♦ Richarda ♦ Sick Man, Skeleton Jackets, sorcery, Symbols of Saints ♦ Wadham College. (references) |
| Etymologies containing "Nicholas": Colin. (references) |
| Domain | Usage | |
Screenplays | That's like saying an understated Nicholas Cage movie (Gilmore Girls; writing credit: Povl Erik Carstensen; Sebastian Dorset) | |
Movie/TV Titles | Nicholas and Alexandra (1971) Visit of St. Nicholas (1897) The Nature of Nicholas (2002) Nicholas Nickleby (2002) Telling Nicholas (2002) | |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | ||
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Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Thumbnail | Description & Credit | Thumbnail | Description & Credit |
![]() | San Nicholas Island, California Surveyed by Assistant Stehman Forney, 1879 Topographic Survey T-1523. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. | ![]() | Taping across intersection St. Nicholas and Amsterdam Avenue Note police protection. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. |
![]() | Nicholas L. Heck Fully developed wiredrag, invented Radio Acoustic Ranging Head of Divsion of Terrestrial Magnetism and Seismology. Credit: Coast & Geodetic Survey Historical Image Collection. | ![]() | "A New Map of Earthquake Distribution", by Captain Nicholas Heck, U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. In: The Geographical Review, Vol. XXV, 1935. Pp. 125-130. Heck noted for the first time that earthquakes were associated with the Mid- Atlantic Ridge in his accompanying paper. Heck first produced a world seismicity map showing the activity on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 1932. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
![]() | A diagram of the old wiredrag system as developed by Nicholas Heck, Jean Hawley, and others in the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey. Prior to the development of sidescan sonar, this was the only method to find protrusions from the bottom that occurred between sounding lines. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. | ![]() | "Distribution of Earthquakes" as published in the "Transactions of the American Geophysical Union, p. 93, May, 1936. Captain Nicholas Heck of the U. S. Coast and Geodetic Survey noted that earthquakes were associated with the Mid- Atlantic Ridge in his accompanying paper. Heck first produced a world seismicity map showing the activity on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in 1932. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
![]() | Figure 39. Current indicator invented by James Norman Carruthers in 1924. This meter works on the principle used in the Robinson anenometer. Left: picture of the unit. Right: unit open to view interior mechanism. This current meter was meant primarily for use by fishermen. It was first tested off the fireboat SAINT NICHOLAS off Great Yarmouth, Great Britain, in 1924. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. | ![]() | Figure 57. Puhler sounder, described by Christian Puhler in 1563, repeated an idea first put forth by Cardinal Nicholas Pusanus a century earlier. The principle, was to attach a float to a weight making it heavier than water. Upon striking bottom, the float would detach. Depth would be derived from round- trip travel time. It is unknown if this device was ever field tested. Credit: Sailing for Science - the NOAA Fleet Then and Now. |
![]() | Dormition-Trifonov Monastery, cloisters (left) (1742), Gate Church of St. Nicholas (1690-95), and bell tower (1714), east panorama, Viatka, Russia. Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540. | ![]() | Kuklin House (1790s; after 1817), Governor's Mansion, study of Nicholas II, who lived here with his family from August 1917 until mid April, 1918, Tobol'sk, Russia. Credit: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington, D.C. 20540. |
Source: pictures compiled by the editor from various references; see picture credits. | |||
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| "Nicholas the Cat" by John Siebert Commentary: "Our cat." | "Barroque door" by Celia Martinez Bravo Commentary: "2000| Prague. Barroque door from Saint Nicholas church." |
Source: photographs selected by the editor, with permission from the photographers. | |
| Author | Quotation |
Nicholas Boileau | Some excel in rhyme who reason foolishly. |
| What is conceived well is expressed clearly. | |
| Greatest fools are the most often satisfied. | |
| A fool always finds a greater fool to admire him. | |
| No one who cannot limit himself has ever been able to write. | |
| Attach yourself to those who advise you rather than praise you. | |
| However big the fool, there is always a bigger fool to admire him. | |
Nicholas Breton | I wish my deadly foe, no worse than want of fiends, and empty purse. |
Nicholas Butler | An expert is one who knows more and more about less and less. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references. | |
| Subject | Topic | Quote |
Health | It is named after the physician Nicholas Friedreich, who first described the condition in the 1860's. "Ataxia," which refers to coordination problems such as clumsy or awkward movements and unsteadiness, occurs in many different diseases and conditions. (references) | |
Civil Liberties | Korea | Seoul Archbishop Nicholas Jin-Suk Cheong, appointed by the Pope as Apostolic Administrator of Pyongyang, was quoted in July 2000 as stating that while there were 50 priests in the country in the 1940's, it is not known if they are still alive today. (references) |
Kenya | In June President Moi and Nicholas Biwott, Minister for Trade and Industry, sued a former U.S. Ambassador accredited to the country and a bookstore that carried the Ambassador's book for libel over allegations in the book that the President and Biwott were involved in the 1991 murder of Foreign Minister Robert Ouko. (references) | |
Economic History | Togo | On September 10, 1956, Nicholas Grunitzky became prime minister of the Republic of Togo. (references) |
Human Rights | Guatemala | There was no progress on the investigation into the intellectual authorship of the 1985 murder of foreign journalist Nicholas Blake despite orders from both an appeals court and the Supreme Court. (references) |
Lexicography | Devil's Dictionary | SORCERY, n. The ancient prototype and forerunner of political influence. It was, however, deemed less respectable and sometimes was punished by torture and death. Augustine Nicholas relates that a poor peasant who had been accused of sorcery was put to the torture to compel a confession. After enduring a few gentle agonies the suffering simpleton admitted his guilt, but naively asked his tormentors if it were not possible to be a sorcerer without knowing it. |
Source: compiled by the editor from ICON Group International, Inc.; see credits. | ||
| "Nicholas" is generally used as a noun (proper) -- approximately 99.88% of the time. "Nicholas" is used about 2,433 times out of a sample of 100 million words spoken or written in English. Its rank is based on over 700,000 words used in the English language. Some parts-of-speech are not covered due to the samples used by the British National Corpus. (note: percents less than one-hundredth of one percent have been omitted) |
| Parts of Speech | Percent | Usage per 100 Million Words | Rank in English |
| Noun (proper) | 99.88% | 2,430 | 3,692 |
| Noun (plural) | 0.12% | 3 | 202,518 |
| Total | 100.00% | 2,433 | N/A |
Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits.
| The following table summarizes the usage of "Nicholas" based on a population census conducted in the United States. Ranks and frequencies are based on all names reported and classified. |
| Name | Usage/Gender | Usage per 100 million Persons | Rank in USA |
| Nicholas | First name Male | 275,000 | 64 |
| Nicholas | Last name | 9,000 | 1,384 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from several corpora; see credits. | |||
| "Nicholas" is a name that signifies or is derived from: "a victory of the people". | |||
| The following table summarizes names related to "Nicholas." | |||
| Name | Gender | Language | Related Name |
| Nikolaos | Male | Ancient Greek | Nicholas |
| Nikolai | Male | Bulgarian | Nicholas |
| Nikolina | Female | Bulgarian | Nicholas |
| Nikola | Male | Croatian | Nicholas |
| Mikolás | Male | Czech | Nicholas |
| Mikulás | Male | Czech | Nicholas |
| Niels | Male | Danish | Nicholas |
| Klaas | Male | Dutch | Nicholas |
| Niels | Male | Dutch | Nicholas |
| Nikolaas | Male | Dutch | Nicholas |
| Nic | Male | English | Nicholas |
| Nicholas | Male | English | N/A |
| Nick | Male | English | Nicholas |
| Nickolas | Male | English | Nicholas |
| Nicky | Male, Female | English | Nicholas |
| Nicola | Female | English | Nicholas |
| Nicole | Female | English | Nicholas |
| Nikolas | Male | English | Nicholas |
| Nichjo | Male | Esperanto | Nicholas |
| Nikolao | Male | Esperanto | Nicholas |
| Launo | Male | Finnish | Nicholas |
| Niilo | Male | Finnish | Nicholas |
| Niko | Male | Finnish | Nicholas |
| Nicholas | Male | French | N/A |
| Nicolas | Male | French | Nicholas |
| Nicole | Female | French | Nicholas |
| Nicolette | Female | French | Nicholas |
| Klaes | Male | Frisian | Nicholas |
| Claus | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Klaas | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Klaus | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Nickolaus | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Niklaus | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Nikolaus | Male | German | Nicholas |
| Nikolaos | Male | Greek | Nicholas |
| Nikolas | Male | Greek | Nicholas |
| Nikoleta | Female | Greek | Nicholas |
| Miklós | Male | Hungarian | Nicholas |
| Nikola | Male | Hungarian | Nicholas |
| Nioclás | Male | Irish | Nicholas |
| Niccolò | Male | Italian | Nicholas |
| Nico | Male | Italian | Nicholas |
| Nicolò | Male | Italian | Nicholas |
| Nicola | Male | Italian | Nicholas |
| Nicoletta | Female | Italian | Nicholas |
| Mikolaj | Male | Polish | Nicholas |
| Nicolau | Male | Portuguese | Nicholas |
| Neculai | Male | Romanian | Nicholas |
| Nicolae | Male | Romanian | Nicholas |
| Nicoleta | Female | Romanian | Nicholas |
| Nikolai | Male | Russian | Nicholas |
| Neacel | Male | Scottish | Nicholas |
| Nicol | Male | Scottish | Nicholas |
| Nikola | Male | Serbian | Nicholas |
| Mikolás | Male | Slovak | Nicholas |
| Nicolás | Male | Spanish | Nicholas |
| Nicolao | Male | Spanish | Nicholas |
| Nicolasa | Female | Spanish | Nicholas |
| Niklas | Male | Swedish | Nicholas |
| Nils | Male | Swedish | Nicholas |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Country | Name |
| India | Nicholas Piramal India Limited |
| (more examples...) |
Source: compiled by the editor from Icon Group International, Inc.
Expressions using "Nicholas": a Visit from St Nicholas ♦ Jean Nicholas Arthur Rimbaud ♦ Nicholas County ♦ Nicholas I ♦ Nicholas II ♦ Nicholas Vachel Lindsay ♦ saint nicholas ♦ St Nicholas. Additional references. | |
| Hyphenated Usage | |
Beginning with "Nicholas": nicholas-creaney, Nicholas-jacques. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
| The following statistics estimate the number of searches per day across the major English-language search engines as identified by various trade publications. Hyperlinks lead to commercial use of the expression at Amazon.com. |
| Expression | Frequency per Day | Expression | Frequency per Day |
nicholas spark | 456 | mcguire nicholas | 42 |
nicholas tse | 229 | czar nicholas | 41 |
nicholas cage | 196 | nicholas lea | 39 |
nicholas all | 140 | nicholas saputra | 38 |
thomas ian nicholas | 128 | applegate nicholas | 37 |
nicholas perricone | 118 | nicholas d wolfwood | 33 |
nicholas brendon | 103 | nicholas copernicus | 31 |
nicholas ii | 86 | tsar nicholas ii | 31 |
saint nicholas | 73 | flamel nicholas | 30 |
natasha nicholas | 63 | dan nicholas park | 29 |
nicholas nickleby | 61 | nicholas picture tse | 28 |
dr nicholas perricone | 58 | ted nicholas | 27 |
czar nicholas ii | 50 | tsar nicholas | 27 |
st nicholas | 50 | nicholas brendan | 26 |
nicholas gonzalez | 47 | jack nicholas | 26 |
nicholas tse wallpaper | 45 | nicholas nickelby | 26 |
nicholas evans | 45 | nicholas brother | 24 |
nicholas cage movie | 45 | nicholas hammond | 23 |
nicholas and alexandra | 45 | analice nicholas | 23 |
laureate nicholas poet | 43 | nicholas mosse | 22 |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Translations for "Nicholas"; alternative meanings/domain in parentheses. | |
Dutch | Sinterklaas (Saint Nicholas, St. Nicholas). (various references) | |
Esperanto | Sankta Nikolao (Saint Nicholas, St. Nicholas). (various references) | |
French | Saint-Nicolas (Saint Nicholas, St. Nicholas). (various references) | |
Frisian | Sinteklaas (Saint Nicholas, St. Nicholas). (various references) | |
German | Nikolaus. (various references) | |
Greek | Νικόλαοσ. (various references) | |
Japanese Kanji | ニコチン中毒 (knickerbockers, knickers, Nick, nickel, nickel-cadmium, nickname, nicotinism, smile, varnish). (various references) | |
Japanese Katakana | ニコラス . (various references) | |
Manx | Niglus (Nick). (various references) | |
Pig Latin | icholasnay.(various references) | |
Russian | Николас, Николай. (various references) | |
Spanish | Nicolás. (various references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various translation references. | ||
| Language | Date | Source | Acts Chapter 6, Verse 5 |
| Greek (transliterated) | 250 BC | Septuagint | Kai hresen o logoV enwpion pantoV tou plhqouV kai exelexanto stefanon andra plhrh pistewV kai pneumatoV agiou kai filippon kai procoron kai nikanora kai timwna kai parmenan kai nikolaon proshluton antiocea |
| Latin | 405 | Vulgate | Et placuit sermo coram omni multitudine et elegerunt Stephanum virum plenum fide et Spiritu Sancto et Philippum et Prochorum et Nicanorem et Timonem et Parmenam et Nicolaum advenam Antiochenum |
| Middle English | 1395 | Wyclif | And the word pleside bifor al the multitude; and thei chesiden Styuen, a man ful of feith and of the Hooli Goost, and Filip, and Procore, and Nycanor, and Tymon, and Parmanam, and Nycol, a comelyng, a man of Antioche. |
| Renaissance English | 1526 | Tyndale | And the sayinge pleased the whoale multitude. And they chose Steven a man full of fayth and of the holy goost and Philip and Prochorus and Nichanor and Timon and Permenas and Nicholas a converte of Antioche. |
| Jacobean English | 1611 | King James | And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Ghost, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: |
| Victorian English | 1833 | Webster | And the saying pleased the whole multitude: and they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip, and Prochorus, and Nicanor, and Timon, and Parmenas, and Nicolas a proselyte of Antioch: |
| Basic English | 1964 | Ogden | And this saying was pleasing to all of them: and they made selection of Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit, and Philip and Prochorus and Nicanor and Timon and Parmenas and Nicolas of Antioch, who had become a Jew: |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |||
| Language | Acts Chapter 6, Verse 5 |
| Albanian | Ky propozim u pëlqeu gjithë dishepujve. Dhe zgjodhën Stefanin, njeri plot besim dhe Frymë të Shenjtë, Filipin, Prohorin, Nikanorin, Timonin, Parmenin dhe Nikollën, një prozelit nga Antiokia. |
| Cebuano | Ug kining sultiha nakapahimuot sa tibuok katilingban, ug ilang gipili sila si Esteban, usa ka tawo nga puno sa pagtoo ug sa Espiritu Santo, ug si Felipe, si Procor, si Nicanor, si Timon, si Parmenas, ug si Nicolas nga usa ka kinabig nga ta-Antioquia. |
| Croatian | Prijedlog se svidje svemu mnoštvu pa izabraše Stjepana, muža puna vjere i Duha Svetoga, zatim Filipa, Prohora, Nikanora, Timona, Parmenu te antiohijskog pridošlicu Nikolu. |
| Danish | Og denne Tale behagede hele Mængden; og de udvalgte Stefanus. en Mand fuld af Tro og den Helligånd, og Filip og Prokorus og Nikaiior og Timon og Parmenas og Nikolaus, en Proselyt fra Antiokia; |
| Dutch | En dit woord behaagde aan al de menigte; en zij verkoren Stefanus, een man vol des geloofs en des Heiligen Geestes, en Filippus, en Prochorus, en Nicanor, en Timon, en Parmenas, en Nicolaus, een Jodengenoot van Antiochie; |
| Finnish | Ja se puhe kelpasi kaikelle joukolle; ja he valitsivat Stefanuksen, miehen, joka oli täynnä uskoa ja Pyhää Henkeä, ja Filippuksen ja Prokoruksen ja Nikanorin ja Timonin ja Parmenaan ja Nikolauksen, antiokialaisen käännynnäisen, |
| French | Cette proposition plut à toute l`assemblée. Ils élurent Étienne, homme plein de foi et d`Esprit Saint, Philippe, Prochore, Nicanor, Timon, Parménas, et Nicolas, prosélyte d`Antioche. |
| German | Und die Rede gefiel der ganzen Menge wohl; und sie erwählten Stephanus, einen Mann voll Glaubens und heiligen Geistes, und Philippus und Prochorus und Nikanor und Timon und Parmenas und Nikolaus, den Judengenossen von Antiochien. |
| Indonesian-Bahasa Sehari-hari | Semua orang itu setuju dengan saran dari rasul-rasul itu. Lalu mereka memilih Stefanus, seorang yang percaya sekali kepada Yesus dan dikuasai oleh Roh Allah. Juga terpilih: Filipus, Prokhorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas, dan Nikolaus dari Antiokhia; ia bukan orang Yahudi tetapi telah masuk agama Yahudi. |
| Indonesian-Terjemahan Lama | Maka perkataan ini diperkenankan oleh sekalian orang banyak itu, lalu memilih Stepanus, yaitu seorang yang penuh dengan iman dan Rohulkudus, dan lagi Pilipus, dan Prokhorus, dan Nikanor, dan Timon, dan Parmenas, dan Nikolaus, yaitu seorang mualaf asalnya dari negeri Antiokhia. |
| Maori | A pai katoa te mano ki taua korero: na whiriwhiria ana e ratou a Tepene, he tangata e ki ana i te whakapono, i te Wairua Tapu, ratou ko Piripi, ko Porokoru, ko Nikanora, ko Timona, ko Paramena, ko Nikora, he porohiraiti no Anatioka: |
| Norwegian | Dette ord syntes hele skaren godt om, og de valgte Stefanus, en mann full av tro og den Hellige Ånd, og Filip og Prokorus og Nikanor og Timon og Parmenas og Nikolaus, en tilhenger av jødenes tro, fra Antiokia; |
| Rumanian | Vorbirea aceasta a plqcut kntregei adunqri. Au ales pe Wtefan, bqrbat plin de credinyq wi de Duhul Sfknt, pe Filip, pe Prohor, pe Nicanor, pe Timon, pe Parmena wi pe Nicolae, un prozelit din Antiohia. |
| Shuar | Akatramu tiarmia nuna Ashí aents Enentáimsar pujuarmiayi. Túmainiak Estepankan anaikiarmiayi. Estepansha Yúsan tuke Enentáimtiniuyayi. Tura Yusa Wakanísha pimiutkamuyayi. Chíkich aishmankan anaikiarmiayi, niisha Jiripi, tura Nuyá Purukuru, Nikianúrsha, Nuyá Temun, Parmenassha, Nikiurássha. Nikiurássha Antiukía nunkanmayaitiat Israernancha Ashí umirniuyayi. |
| Swahili | Jambo hilo likaipendeza jumuiya yote ya waumini. Wakawachagua Stefano, mtu mwenye imani kubwa na mwenye kujawa na Roho Mtakatifu, Filipo, Prokoro, Nikanora, Timona, Parmena na Nikolao wa Antiokia ambaye hapo awali alikuwa ameongokea dini ya Kiyahudi. |
| Swedish | Det talet behagade hela menigheten. Och de utvalde Stefanus, en man som var full av tro och helig ande, vidare Filippus och Prokorus och Nikanor och Timon och Parmenas, slutligen Nikolaus, en proselyt från Antiokia. |
| Uma | Lolita suro toera rapo'io' -mi omea. Toe pai' mpopelihi-ramo Stefanus, to mepangala' mpu'u hi Pue' Yesus pai' to nakuasai Inoha' Tomoroli'. Rapelihi wo'o: Filipus, Prokhorus, Nikanor, Timon, Parmenas pai' Nikolaus to Antiokhia. Nikolaus toei, bela-i to Yahudi, aga mesua' -imi hi agama Yahudi. |
Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. | |
Misspellings | |
"Nicholas" is suggested in spellcheckers for the following: Mikolas, Nachlass, Nachola, Nakhla, Nanchukas, Nichilas, nichoals, Nicholae, Nickolas, nikiyas, Nikolaas, Nikolaj, Nikolas, Nikolic, Nishioka, Richeldas. (additional references) | |
| Source: compiled by the editor, based on several corpora (additional references). | |
Scrabble® Enable2K-Verified Anagrams | |
| Words within the letters "a-c-h-i-l-n-o-s" | |
-1 letter: alnicos, lochans, oilcans, scholia. | |
-2 letters: alnico, aloins, casino, chains, chinas, chinos, colins, laichs, linacs, lochan, lochia, nachos, nicols, oilcan, social. | |
-3 letters: aloin, anils, cains, calos, canso, chain, chaos, chiao, chias, china, chino, chins, cions, clans, clash, clons, coals, coils, coins, colas, colin, hails, halos, icons, laich, laics, linac, linos, lions, loach, loans, lochs. | |
| Words containing the letters "a-c-h-i-l-n-o-s" | |
+1 letter: falchions. | |
+2 letters: chalazions, chelations, chelonians, cochineals, haloclines, isochronal. | |
+3 letters: baldachinos, catholicons, chloramines, chlorinates, monochasial, neophiliacs, nonphysical, thrasonical. | |
+4 letters: cartoonishly, cephalothins, chalcedonies, chlorinators, cytochalasin, hallucinoses, hallucinosis, isochronally, melancholias, melancholics, melancholies, necrophilias, nonchemicals, nonspherical, plainclothes, synchronical, unchivalrous, unhistorical. | |
+5 letters: accomplishing, cephalosporin, chalcogenides, chancellories, chlorinations, clearinghouse, collieshangie, cytochalasins, dechlorinates, diencephalons, echolocations, flowchartings, hallucinators, hallucinogens, housecleaning, laughingstock, lycanthropies, melancholiacs, necrophiliacs, nonalcoholics, nonhistorical, nonhysterical, philharmonics, sansculottish, symphonically, synecdochical, thrasonically. | |
| Source: compiled by the editor from various references; see credits. SCRABBLE® is a registered trademark. All intellectual property rights in and to the game are owned in the U.S.A and Canada by Hasbro Inc., and throughout the rest of the world by J.W. Spear & Sons Limited of Maidenhead, Berkshire, England, a subsidiary of Mattel Inc. Mattel and Spear are not affiliated with Hasbro. | |
| 1. Definition 2. Synonyms 3. Crosswords 4. Usage: Modern | 5. Usage: Commercial 6. Images: Slideshow 7. Images: Photo Album 8. Images: Digital Art | 9. Quotations: Familiar 10. Quotations: Non-fiction 11. Usage Frequency 12. Names: Frequency | 13. Names: Derived from 14. Names: Company Usage 15. Expressions 16. Expressions: Internet | 17. Translations: Modern 18. Bible Trace 19. Derivations 20. Anagrams | 21. Bibliography |
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