nip

nip¹ [nıp] v past tense and past participle nipped present participle nipping

[Date: 1300-1400; : Middle Low German; Origin: nipen]

1.) [I always + adverb/preposition] BrE informal to go somewhere quickly or for a short time

= ↑pop

▪ Have we time to nip down the pub for a quick drink?

▪ Another car nipped in (=moved quickly into a space) in front of me.

▪ I've got to nip home and change my clothes.

2.) [I and T]

to bite someone or something lightly

▪ She gently nipped the lobe of his ear.

nip at

▪ The fish swam all around her and nipped at her legs.

3.) nip sth in the bud

to prevent something from becoming a problem by stopping it as soon as it starts

▪ Try to nip this kind of bad behaviour in the bud.

4.) [T] BrE

to suddenly and quickly press something tightly between two fingers, edges, or surfaces

→↑pinch

▪ Sally nipped her cheeks to make them look less pale.

▪ He nipped his finger in the door.

5.) [I and T] written

if cold weather or the wind nips at part of your body or at a plant, it hurts or damages it

nip at

▪ The frost nipped at our fingers.

nip off [nip sth<=>off] phr v

to remove a small part of something, especially a plant, by pressing it tightly between your finger and thumb

▪ She nipped off a dead flower.

nip ²

nip² n

[Sense: 1, 4-5; Date: 1500-1600; Origin: NIP¹]

[Sense: 3; Date: 1900-2000; Origin: Nipponese 'Japanese' (19-21 centuries), from Japanese Nippon 'Japan']

[Sense: 2; Date: 1700-1800; Origin: Probably from nipperkin 'small container for alcoholic drink' (17-19 centuries), probably from Dutch or Low German]

1.) the act or result of biting something lightly or pressing something between two fingers, edges, or surfaces

▪ His dog gave me a painful nip on the leg.

2.) a small amount of strong alcoholic drink

nip of

▪ a nip of brandy

3.) a nip in the air

coldness in the air

4.) nip and tuckAmE informal

a) equally likely to happen or not happen

▪ We made it to the airport, but it was nip and tuck .

b) if two competitors are nip and tuck in a race or competition, they are doing equally well

= ↑neck and neck

▪ The fourth quarter was nip and tuck, but the Bulls won 92-90.