nary

/ˈnɛri/

Use the adjective nary to mean "none," or "not a single one." If you hope for a snowy morning, when you wake up you'll be sad to see nary a snowflake.

Nary is an old fashioned and informal way to say "not." You might describe your friend's sad, empty book shelves with nary a novel on them, or your bald great uncle, who has nary a hair on his head. The word has been around since the mid-1700s, from never a, which was then shortened to ne'er a, and finally nary.

Definitions of nary

1. adjective

   (used with singular count nouns) colloquial for 'not a' or 'not one' or 'never a'
   “heard nary a sound”

   synonyms:

   no

   quantifier; used with either mass nouns or plural count nouns for indicating a complete or almost complete lack or zero quantity of