n. The name of the letter N, n. It is rarely written, the symbol N, n, being used instead.n. In printing, a space half as wide as an em, sometimes used as a standard in reckoning the amount of a compositor's work. See em, 2.n. A common adverbial or prepositional prefix, representing Latin in-, meaning primarily ‘in’ or ‘into.’n. An adverbial or prepositional prefix of Greek origin, meaning primarily ‘in’: chiefly in scientific or technical words of modern formation, as in encephalon, enanthema, etc.n. A termination of various origin, used in the formation of verbs.n. A suffix forming adjectives from nouns of material, as ashen, ashen, earthen, oaken, wooden, golden, sometimes simply -n, as cedarn, eldern, silvern, etc.n. A feminine suffix, of which only a few relics exist in native English words, as, for example, vixen, from Anglo-Saxon fyxen (= German füchsin), a female fox: in some instances regarded as having a diminutive force, as in maiden, from Anglo-Saxon mægden, etc. See vixen, maiden, and compare elfin.n. The plural suffix of a few nouns, as oxen, brethren, children, and (archaic and poetical) eyne or een (= eyen), kine (= kyen), shoon, dial. hosen, housen, peasen, etc.n. A suffix of various other origins besides those mentioned above: often ultimately identical with -an (Latin -anus), as in citizen, denizen, dozen, etc., but having also, as in often, midden, etc., other sources ascertainable upon reference to the word concerned.n. Abbreviations of encyclopedia.