American Dictionary of the English Language

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Now


NOW, adverb

1. At the present time.

I have a patient now living at an advanced age, who discharged blood from his lungs thirty years ago.

2. A little while ago; very lately.

They that but now for honor and for plate, made the sea blush with blood, resign their hate.

3. At one time; at another time.

NOW high, now low, now master up, now miss.

4. now sometimes expresses or implies a connection between the subsequent and preceding proposition; often it introduces an inference or an explanation of what precedes.

Not this man, but barabbas; now Barabbas was a robber. John 18:14.

Then said Mich, now I know that the Lord will do me good, seeing I have a Levite for my priest. Judges 17:3.

The other great mischief which befalls men, is by their being misrepresented. now by calling evil good, a man is misrepresented to others in the way of slander--

5. After this; things being so.

How shall any man distinguish now betwixt a parasite and a man of honor?

6. In supplication, it appears to be somewhat emphatical.

I beseech thee, O Lord, remember now how I have walked before thee in truth and with a perfect heart. 2 Kings 20:3.

7. now sometimes refers to a particular time past specified or understood, and may be defined, at that time. He was now sensible of his mistake.

NOW and then, at one time and another, indefinitely; occasionally; not often; at intervals.

They now and then appear in offices of religion.

If there were any such thing as spontaneous generation, a new species would now and then appear.

2. Applied to places which appear at intervals or in succession.

A mead here, ther a heath, and now and then a wood.

NOW, now repeated, is used to excite attention to something immediately to happen.

NOW, noun The present time or moment.

Nothing is there to come, and nothing past, but an eternal now does ever last.

NOW a days, adverb In this age.

What men of spirit now a days, come to give sober judgment a new plays?

[This is a common colloquial phrase, but not elegant in writing, unless of the more familiar kinds.]