ned

See also Ned, and NED

English

Etymology

Unknown. Widely, though incorrectly, believed to be an acronym for "Non-Educated [sic] Delinquent" although this is in fact a backronym and folk etymology. Several other suggestions include a contraction of ne'er-do-well, neanderthal, and some kind of relationship with Teddy Boy although its use much predates the 1950s origin of that phrase. Ostensibly unrelated to "Ned" as a diminutive of the personal name "Edward" but the Scottish use of 'ned' for hooligan or lout is cited by the Oxford English Dictionary as dating from the early 19th century. The OED also attributes a possible derivation from the 'Edward' diminutive.

Noun

ned (plural neds)

1. (Scotland, slang, pejorative, offensive) A person, usually a youth, of low social standing and education, a violent disposition and with a particular style of dress (typically sportswear or Burberry), speech and behaviour.
   • 2007 (Scotland), RecordView in Daily Record, 14 Feb 07, Scottish Daily Record and Sunday Mail, p. 8,

     The mindless behaviour of drunken neds and nuisance neighbours brings misery to tens of thousands of honest folk.

Synonyms

• chav (England)
• charva (Northeast England)
• Scally (Northern England)
• Senga (Scotland)
• yob, yobbo (England, Australia)
• spide (Northern Ireland)

Anagrams

• Den, den, DNE, end, NDE

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Norwegian

Alternative forms

• ner

Etymology

From Old Norse niðr, from Proto-Germanic *niþer.

Adverb

ned

1. down

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Old English

Noun

nēd f

1. Alternative form of nȳd.

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Scots

Noun

ned (plural neds)

1. (slang, pejorative) ned

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Swedish

Etymology

From Old Norse niðr, from Proto-Germanic *niþer.

Pronunciation

• IPA: /neːd/

• audio

  (file)

Alternative forms

• ner

Preposition

ned

1. down