nix
/nɪks/
verb
Origin
German
nichts — nothing
Overview
Meaning Now
- To cancel, reject, or put an end to something.
- To forbid or veto a plan or idea.
Literal older meaning
Derived from the German word 'nichts' meaning 'nothing'.
Language path
German → English
Earliest form
nix
Earliest period
18th century
Journey
The term emerged in American English during the early 20th century as a verb, evolving from the informal noun 'nix' (meaning 'nothing'), which was used by German immigrants and in Yiddish-inflected urban slang.
Evolution
- Old High German
niowiht
“nothing”
- Middle High German
niht
“nothing”
- Modern German
nichts
“nothing”
- 18th century English
nix
“nothing”
Borrowed as slang; later used as a verb in 20th-century American English.
Connections
Word parts
nix
root
nothing
-ed
ending
past tense marker
Related across languages
German
nichts
nothing
Dutch
niets
nothing
Explore next
Related to nix
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.