1. 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.
Phrases and idioms:
nip and tuck US neck and neck. nip in the bud suppress or destroy (esp. an idea) at an early stage.
Derivatives:
nipping adj.
Etymology: ME, prob. of LG or Du. orig. 2. n. & v.
--n. a small quantity of spirits.
--v.intr. (nipped, nipping) drink spirits.
Etymology: prob. abbr. of nipperkin small measure: cf. LG, Du. nippen to sip