[nip] vb nipped ; nip.ping [ME nippen; akin to ON hnippa to prod] vt (14c) 1 a: to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points: pinch, bite "the dog nipped his ankle" b: to pinch in (as a garment) "a dress nipped at the waist"
2. a: to sever by or as if by pinching sharply b: to destroy the growth, progress, or fulfillment of "nipped in the bud"
3: to injure or make numb with cold: chill
4: snatch, steal
5: to defeat by a small margin ~ vi 1: to move briskly, nimbly, or quickly
2. chiefly Brit: to make a quick trip
[2]nip n (1549) 1: something that nips: as a archaic: a sharp biting comment b: a sharp stinging cold "a ~ in the air" c: a biting or pungent flavor: tang "cheese with a ~"
2: the act of nipping: pinch, bite
3: the region of a squeezing or crushing device (as a calender) where the rolls or jaws are closest together
4: a small portion [3]nip n [prob. fr. nipperkin, a liquor container] (ca. 1796): a small quantity of liquor: sip; also: a very small bottle of liquor [4]nip vi nipped ; nip.ping (1887): to take liquor in nips: tipple