non·sense (n n s ns , -s ns)n. 1. Words or signs having no intelligible meaning: a message that was nonsense until decoded. 2. Subject matter, behavior, or language that is foolish or absurd. 3. Extravagant foolishness or frivolity: a clown's exuberant nonsense. 4. Matter of little or no importance or usefulness: a chatty letter full of gossip and nonsense. 5. Insolent talk or behavior; impudence: wouldn't take any nonsense from the children. adj. Genetics Of or relating to a mutation in a structural gene that changes a nucleotide triplet into a stop codon, thus prematurely terminating the polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. interj. Used to express disagreement or exasperation. |
nonsense [ˈnɒnsəns]
| nonsense (nnsns) Relating to a mutation in a structural gene that changes a nucleotide triplet into a stop codon, thus prematurely terminating the polypeptide chain during protein synthesis. See more at point mutation. |
Nonsense
applesauce Nonsense, balderdash, bunk; lies and exaggeration; flattery and sweet talk. The first of these meanings is now most common, and the last, least in use. According to a 1929 article in Century Magazine, however, the term originally meant “a camouflage of flattery” and derived from the common practice of boarding houses to serve an abundance of applesauce to divert awareness from the paucity of more nourishing fare. It seems equally plausible, though, that its origin might lie in the association of applesauce with excessive sweetness, mushiness, pulpiness, and insubstantiality.
balderdash Nonsense; a meaningless jumble of words. Used throughout most of the 17th century to mean a hodgepodge of liquors, this word began to be used in its current sense in the latter part of the same century.
banana oil Bunk, hokum, hogwash, nonsense. This American slang term for insincere talk derives from the literal banana oil, a synthetic compound used as a paint solvent and in artificial fruit flavors, itself so called because its odor resembles that of bananas. Its figurative use combines its characteristics of excessive sweetness and unctuousness.
bunkum Empty or insincere talk, especially that of a politician aiming to satisfy local constituents; humbug; nonsense; also buncombe or the shortened slang form bunk; sometimes in the phrase talk or speak for or to Buncombe. The term comes from a speech made by Felix Walker, who served in Congress from 1817 to 1823. It was so long and dull that many members left. The exodus of his fellow Congressmen did not bother Mr. Walker in the least since he was, in his own words, bound “to make a speech for Buncombe,” a North Carolina county in his district. Bunk, the abbreviated slang version of bunkum, did not appear until 1900, although bunkum itself dates from much earlier:
“Talking to Bunkum!” This is an old and common saying at Washington, when a member of congress is making one of those hum-drum and unlistened to “long talks” which have lately become so fashionable. (Niles’ Register, 1828)
cock and bull story A preposterous, improbable story presented as the truth; tall tale, canard, or incredible yarn; stuff and nonsense. Few sources acknowledge that the exact origin of this phrase is unknown. Most say it derives from old fables in which cocks, bulls, and other animals are represented as conversational creatures. In one of the Boyle Lectures in 1692 Richard Bentley says:
cocks and bulls might discourse, and hinds and panthers hold conferences about religion.
Matthew Prior’s Riddle on Beauty clearly shows the nonsensical flavor of “cock and bull”:
Of cocks and bulls, and flutes and fiddles, Of idle tales and foolish riddles.
The phrase is current today, as are the truncated slang forms—cock in Britain and bull in the United States—which mean ‘nonsense.’
fiddlesticks Nonsense, hogwash, balderdash. This word is virtually synonymous with fiddle-de-dee and fiddle-faddle. Literally, a fiddlestick is the bow used to play a fiddle. Figuratively, it is often used as an interjectional reply to a totally absurd statement.
Do you suppose men so easily damage their natures? Fiddlestick! (William Makepeace Thackeray, Miss Tickletoby ‘s Lecture, 1842)
moonshine Nonsense, hogwash; foolish notions or conceptions. Moonshine is the light which, although appearing to be generated by the moon, is actually sunlight reflected off the lunar surface; hence, the expression’s figurative connotation of illusion or fallacy.
Coleridge’s entire statement upon that subject is perfect moonshine. (Thomas DeQuincey, Confessions of an Opium-Eater, 1856)
tommyrot Nonsense, poppycock, balderdash. This expression combines tommy ‘simpleton, fool,’ with rot ‘worthless matter’ to form a word denoting foolish utterances.
My fellow newcomers … thought nothing of calling some of our instructor’s best information “Tommy Rot!” (Mary Kingsley, West African Studies, 1899)
| Noun | 1. |  nonsense - a message that seems to convey no meaningamphigory, nonsense verse - nonsensical writing (usually verse) cobblers - nonsense; "I think that is a load of cobblers" crock - nonsense; foolish talk; "that's a crock" jabberwocky - nonsensical language (according to Lewis Carroll) empty talk, empty words, hot air, palaver, rhetoric - loud and confused and empty talk; "mere rhetoric" rigamarole, rigmarole - a set of confused and meaningless statements schmegegge, shmegegge - (Yiddish) baloney; hot air; nonsense baloney, bilgewater, boloney, bosh, drool, humbug, tommyrot, tosh, twaddle, taradiddle, tarradiddle - pretentious or silly talk or writing |
| 2. |  nonsense - ornamental objects of no great value | |
| Adj. | 1. | nonsense - having no intelligible meaning; "nonsense syllables"; "a nonsensical jumble of words" meaningless, nonmeaningful - having no meaning or direction or purpose; "a meaningless endeavor"; "a meaningless life"; "a verbose but meaningless explanation" |
nonsense
rubbish fact, reason, sense, truth, reality, wisdom, seriousness
(what) nonsense! → ¡tonterías!, ¡qué tontería!
but that's nonsense! → ¡eso es absurdo!, ¡eso es ridículo!
it is nonsense to say that → es absurdo or ridículo decir que ...
I've never heard such nonsense! → ¡vaya(una)tontería!, ¡jamás oí(una)tontería igual!
to make (a) nonsense of [+ claim, system, law] → quitar sentido a; [+ pledge] → convertir en papel mojado
a piece of nonsense → una tontería
I'll stand no nonsense from you!, I won't take any nonsense from you! → ¡no voy a tolerar tus tonterías!
to talk nonsense → decir tonterías or disparates
stop this nonsense! → ¡ya vale de tonterías!
Stop your nonsense! → Arrête tes bêtises!
I won't stand any nonsense from him!
BUT Je ne vais pas le laisser me marcher sur les pieds!.
to talk nonsense → dire n'importe quoi, dire des bêtises
She talks a lot of nonsense → Elle dit n'importe quoi., Elle dit beaucoup de bêtises.
it is nonsense to say that ... → il est absurde de dire que ...
to dismiss sth as nonsense → juger qch absurde
(what) nonsense! → che sciocchezze!, che assurdità!
it is nonsense to say that ... → è un'assurdità or non ha senso dire che...
to talk nonsense → dire sciocchezze or assurdità
that's a piece of nonsense! → è una sciocchezza!
to make (a) nonsense of sth → rendere assurdo qc
he stands no nonsense → con lui non si scherza
nonsense → هراء nesmysl sludder Unsinn ανοησία tonterías hölynpöly balivernes besmislica stupidaggine ナンセンス 허튼 소리 onzin tull absurd absurdo вздор nonsens เรื่องไร้สาระ saçma chuyện vô lý 胡说
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