See Also:

next (iou)



next adjective, noun, adverb, & preposition.

A. adjective.
Lying nearest in place or position. Now, spec. lying nearest in a certain direction or line; by the side (of), adjoining. In pred. use freq. foll. by to. OE.
Addison When a Fox is very much troubled with Fleas, he goes into the next pool. E. Waugh Music was borne in from the next room. Esquire Perched on a stool next to her is her friend Barbara.
Of a person: living, dwelling, or happening to be nearest to one. Now rare or obsolete. OE.
Nearest in relationship or kinship. Now only attrib. (Cf. sense B. below.) OE.
a. Designating the time, season, etc., occurring directly after that of writing or speaking. Also (of a day of the week etc.), the nearest but one, the second after this one. (With a common noun after the or (emphasizing imminence) this or these or without article or demonstrative; with the name of a month, of a day of the week, etc., placed before or (more formally) after the noun.) OE.
Times The trial..has been fixed for Tuesday next. I. Murdoch I don't know how I shall live through this next week till he comes. Guardian Next Saturday is the opening day of the coarse fishing season. P. Auster A house is there one day, and the next day it is gone.
b. Esp. of an event or an occasion: occurring directly after another in time, without anything of the same kind intervening. LME.
P. Hill If the Christian Democrats put enough candidates up at the next election they'll walk in.
Immediately succeeding or preceding in order, precedence, importance, etc. Also foll. by to, after. OE.
B. Romans The ground nut..is next after this for its easy cultivation. G. Butler The centre spread where they put the next most important news. G. Greene Is the next stage the stage of corrupting others? I. McEwan Perhaps we should get off at the next stop. J. J. Hennessy I believe they will be the next Olympic champions.
b. Other, another. Chiefly W. Indies. M20.
a. Most pressing or urgent. rare. Only in ME.
b. (Of a means or remedy) most readily available; (of an end or cause) least remote, most proximate. LME-E19.
b. absol. as noun. The next person or thing identified contextually; spec. (a) a neighbour; (b) a relative (now only in next of kin s.v. KIN noun); (c) the next issue or episode; (d) the next day of the week etc. OE.
J. McCarthy Some serial story which stopped..with the wordsTo be continued in our next. C. Sandburg When a member died the newspaper men..gave the toast: 'Hurrah for the next who goes!' Guardian The week after next.
C. adverb.
Last, on the last occasion. OE-ME.
In the nearest place or degree, immediately following in time or order. Freq. foll. by to. ME.
C. R. Markham The East Indian source of supply is now the most important next to Colombia. O. Manning He never knew what she would do or say next. B. Reid Next we went to the King's Palace, Preston.
On the first future or subsequent occasion. M16.
J. M. Coetzee When he woke next there was a light on.
D. preposition. Next to. Now colloq. OE.
Milton One next himself in power, and next in crime. Swift The greatest punner of this town next myself. J. Conrad He had been wearing next his bare skin..a sort of waistcoat.
Phrases: knock into the middle of next week: see KNOCK verb. next of kin: see KIN noun. next the heart: see HEART noun. next to (a) very nearly, almost (freq. in next to nothing); (b) by the side of, beside, in comparison with; put next to, put in close proximity with, esp. seat next to at dinner etc., US slang introduce to, make familiar with; sitting next to Nelly: see NELLY noun2 4; (c) be next to, get next to (US slang), get to know, become familiar with; (d) see also senses A.1, C.2 above. whatever next?, what next? expr. surprise, amazement, dismay, etc.
Special collocations & comb.: next-best second-best, second in order of preference. next door (a) the occupant(s) of the nearest or an adjoining house, flat, etc.; (b) adverb in, at, or to the nearest or an adjoining house or an adjacent room; fig. very close or near to, almost amounting to; (c) Mr Next-Door, Mrs Next-Door, the occupant of a next-door house, flat, etc.; (d) next-door-but-one, (the occupant(s) of) a house, flat, etc., two doors away; in, to, or at a house, flat, etc., two doors away; (e) the boy next door, the girl next door, the boy or girl living next door; the type of a familiar and reliable boy or girl, esp. when viewed as a romantic partner. next-door adjective that is next door, esp. living next door. next friend (a) one's nearest friend or relative; (b) spec. in Law, a person acting for an infant or someone legally disabled. next man, next one, next person, etc., the average person, anybody. next way the shortest, most convenient or direct way. next world the afterlife, a supposed life after death.
nextly adverb (now rare) in the next place, next L16.
nextness noun the fact or condition of immediate succession or proximity ME.