v. & n.
v. (nipped, nipping) 1 tr. pinch, squeeze, or bite sharply. 2 tr. (often foll. by off) remove by pinching etc. 3 tr. (of the cold, frost, etc.) cause pain or harm to. 4 intr. (foll. by in, out, etc.) Brit. colloq. go nimbly or quickly. 5 tr. US sl. steal, snatch.
n. 1 a a pinch, a sharp squeeze. b a bite. 2 a biting cold. b a check to vegetation caused by this. nip and tuck US neck and neck. nip in the bud suppress or destroy (esp. an idea) at an early stage. nipping adj.
[ ME, prob. of LG or Du. orig. ]