NIBBLE

I. verb (~d; nibbling) Etymology: origin unknown Date: circa 1512 transitive verb 1. to bite gently, to eat or chew in small bits, to take away bit by bit , intransitive verb to take gentle, small, or cautious bites, to deal with something as if by nibbling, ~r noun II. noun Date: 1658 an act of nibbling, a very small quantity or portion (as of food), a tentative expression of interest