the unauthorized interference in a legal action by a person having no interest in it (as by helping one party with money or otherwise to continue the action) so as to obstruct justice or promote unnecessary litigation or unsettle the peace of the community; "unlike champerty, criminal maintenance does not necessarily involve personal profit"
a state of extreme (usually irremediable) ruin and misfortune; "lack of funds has resulted in a catastrophe for our school system"; "his policies were a disaster"
the momentary present; "Now is a good time to do it"; "it worked up to right now"
used to preface a command or reproof or request; "now hear this!"; "now pay attention"
at the present moment; "goods now on sale"; "the now-aging dictator"; "they are now abroad"; "he is busy at present writing a new novel"; "it could happen any time now"
in the historical present; at this point in the narration of a series of past events; "President Kennedy now calls in the National Guard"; "Washington now decides to cross the Delaware"; "the ship is now listing to port"
in the immediate past; "told me just now"
(prefatory or transitional) indicates a change of subject or activity; "Now the next problem is..."
very close; "without my reading glasses I can hardly see things close up"; "even firing at close range he missed"
refuse to talk or stop talking; fall silent; "The children shut up when their father approached"
unite or bring into contact or bring together the edges of; "close the circuit"; "close a wound"; "close a book"; "close up an umbrella"
cease to operate or cause to cease operating; "The owners decided to move and to close the factory"; "My business closes every night at 8 P.M."; "close up the shop"
in the recent past; "he was in Paris recently"; "lately the rules have been enforced"; "as late as yesterday she was fine"; "feeling better of late"; "the spelling was first affected, but latterly the meaning also"
very recently; "they are newly married"; "newly raised objections"; "a newly arranged hairdo"; "grass new washed by the rain"; "a freshly cleaned floor"; "we are fresh out of tomatoes"