NICOLAS, or NICHOLAS, Sr, a town of Belgium, in the province of East Flanders, is the principal place in the populous and well-cultivated district called the Pays de Waes, 20 miles N.E. of Ghent. It is well built, with broad and regular streets, and a spacious market-place, surrounded with fine houses. There are several churches, one of which, that of St Nicholas, is a handsome structure; a town-hall, a college, several schools, an hospital, two orphan asylums, and a prison. Among the manufactures of the town, tanneries, breweries, distilleries, salt-refineries, dye-works, and potteries are the chief; and in addition to these, linen, cotton, woollen, and silken stuffs, carpets, lace, hats, tobacco, chocolate, earthenware, &c., are manufactured. In corn, flax, hemp, linen, &c., an active trade is carried on; and a market for flax is held here which is said to be the largest in the world. Pop. 20,500.