nip
1 of 4verb (1)
ˈnip 
nipped; nipping
transitive verb
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 (a garment)
a dress nipped at the waist
2
a
: to sever by or as if by pinching sharply
nipped the dead flowers from the plant
b
: to destroy the growth, progress, or fulfillment of
What could have been a sad story about a young star's career nipped in the bud has become a lesson in human resilience.
E. M. Smith
E. M. Smith3
: to injure or make numb with cold : chill
The wind was nipping our cheeks.
4
: snatch, steal
Some feed on insects, others on fish eggs and fry, still others on scraps of fin nipped off neighboring fish … David Quammen
David Quammen5
: to defeat by a small margin
They nipped our team 61 to 57.
intransitive verb
1
: to bite or pinch someone or something lightly
The dog nipped at my ankles.
2
: to harm or numb someone or something with cold
The icy wind nipped at my nose.
3
: to move briskly, nimbly, or quickly
A photographer nipped in and snapped him dead … Bernard Shaw
Bernard Shaw4
chiefly British : to make a quick trip
One day during a brief stop, one of them … nipped off the train … to purchase an esoteric label of single-malt Scotch for us that The Royal Scotsman bar didn't stock. Shirley Slater
Shirley Slaternip
2 of 4noun (1)
1
: something that nips: such as
a
archaic : a sharp biting comment
b
: a sharp stinging cold
a nip in the air
c
: a biting or pungent flavor : tang
2
: the act of nipping : pinch, bite
3
: the region of a squeezing or crushing device (such as a calender) where the rolls or jaws are closest together
4
: a small portion
nip
3 of 4noun (2)
: a small quantity of liquor : sip
also : a very small bottle of liquor
nip
4 of 4verb (2)
nipped; nipping
intransitive verb
: to take liquor in nips : tipple
Synonyms
Verb (1)
- bob
- clip
- crop
- cut
- cut back
- dock
- lop (off)
- pare
- poll
- prune
- shave
- shear
- snip
- trim
Noun (1)
- piquancy
- pungency
- spice
- tang
- zest
- zing
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Word History
Etymology
Verb (1)
Middle English nippen; akin to Middle Dutch nipen to pinch, Old Norse hnippa to prod
Noun (2)
probably from nipperkin, a liquor container
First Known Use
Verb (1)
15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a
Noun (1)
1549, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Noun (2)
circa 1796, in the meaning defined above
Verb (2)
1887, in the meaning defined above
Phrases Containing nip
Kids Definition
nip 1 of 3
verb
ˈnip
nipped; nipping
1
: to bite or pinch lightly
The dog nipped at my ankles.
2
: to injure or make numb with cold
A chill wind was blowing that nipped him sharply … Jack London, The Call of the Wild
Jack London, The Call of the Wild3
: to remove or cut off by or as if by pinching
Nip off the flower bud with your fingers.
4
: to move quickly
I nipped upstairs to fetch my book.
nip
2 of 3noun
: a light bite or pinch
The dog gave me a nip on the leg.
nip
3 of 3noun
: a small amount of liquor
nips 1 of 3
noun (1)
as in little
a very small amount I'll have just a nip of your sandwich Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- little
- splashes
- touches
- licks
- glimmers
- hints
- sprinklings
- specks
- bits
- dabs
- bites
- pinches
- sparks
- traces
- smacks
- shadows
- handfuls
- ounces
- drops
- snaps
- slivers
- rays
- shreds
- crumbs
- peanuts
- driblets
- streaks
- shades
- flecks
- spots
- particles
- soupçons
- smidges
- drams
- nibbles
- dashes
- smells
- spatters
- smidgens
- smidgeons
- mites
- skoshes
- scruples
- aces
- suspicions
- strains
- smidgins
- patches
- scintillas
- drops in the bucket
- grains
- tastes
- granules
- molecules
- parts
- whits
- nubbins
- dots
- jots
- atoms
- portions
- doses
- scraps
- syllables
- morsels
- shivers
- flakes
- fragments
- minims
- minima
- minimums
- chips
- vestiges
- hoots
- scatterings
- splinters
- flyspecks
- clippings
- modicums
- sections
- tittles
- motes
- iotas
- semblances
- shavings
- handsful
- parings
- shards
- shots
- tatters
- smatters
- smatterings
- smithereens
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pecks
- loads
- masses
- quantities
- mountains
- barrels
- bushels
- piles
- stacks
- buckets
- lots
- bundles
- deals
- reams
- heaps
- fistfuls
- gobs
- rafts
- lashings
- wads
- messes
- abundances
- scads
- volumes
- oodles
- wealths
- boatloads
- surpluses
- lashins
- excesses
- much
- potfuls
- profusions
- passels
- embarrassments
- plenties
- overflows
- lumps
- slabs
- bonanzas
- overages
- superfluities
- chunks
- hunks
- overmuch
- surfeits
- oversupplies
- overkills
- overabundances
- superabundances
nips
2 of 3noun (2)
as in sips
the portion of a serving of a beverage that is swallowed at one time give me just a nip of milk to help me swallow this pill Synonyms & Similar Words
- sips
- gulps
- drinks
- snorts
- swallows
- slugs
- belts
- swigs
- drops
- quaffs
- shots
- sups
- drafts
- drags
- swills
- drams
nips
3 of 3verb
1
as in shaves
to make (something) shorter or smaller with the use of a cutting instrument I'm just going to nip these hedges, and then I'll be done with the work outside Synonyms & Similar Words
- shaves
- cuts
- clips
- trims
- snips
- mows
- prunes
- shears
- crops
- docks
- pares
- bobs
- cuts back
- polls
- pinches
- lops (off)
- whittles
- stumps
- skives
- manicures
- shortens
- curtails
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- extends
- lengthens
- elongates
2
as in pinches
to squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points the puppy nipped her hand while playing Synonyms & Similar Words
- pinches
- clasps
- clutches
- grips
- holds
- grasps
- crimps
- tweaks
- takes
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- springs
- drops
- releases
- frees
- loosens
- looses
3
as in steals
to take (something) without right and with an intent to keep that guy nipped my wallet from the restaurant table when I turned away Synonyms & Similar Words
- steals
- swipes
- pinches
- lifts
- grabs
- snatches
- pockets
- nicks
- pilfers
- filches
- snitches
- hooks
- purloins
- rips off
- thieves
- robs
- heists
- appropriates
- boosts
- picks
- takes
- misappropriates
- hijacks
- walks off with
- sacks
- seizes
- plunders
- pillages
- runs off with
- loots
- knocks over
- collars
- rifles
- poaches
- makes away with
- makes off with
- shoplifts
- burglarizes
- nails
- grasps
- rustles
- carjacks
- highjacks
- abducts
- spirits
- mooches
- kidnaps
- sponges
- shanghais
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- buys
- purchases
- gives
- presents
- contributes
- bestows
- hands over
- donates
4
as in zips
to proceed or move quickly I'll just nip off to the corner store for some milk Synonyms & Similar Words
- zips
- trots
- rushes
- drives
- flies
- chases
- scurries
- travels
- races
- hurries
- speeds
- jumps
- darts
- blows
- runs
- buzzes
- scoots
- rips
- scuttles
- rams
- dashes
- humps
- shoots
- bowls
- jogs
- breezes
- steps
- tears
- blasts
- bolts
- zooms
- barrels
- blazes
- bustles
- rustles
- belts
- pelts
- jets
- rockets
- hustles
- hies
- hares
- motors
- whirls
- cannonballs
- hurls
- highballs
- hurtles
- bombs
- whisks
- beats it
- hastens
- bundles
- courses
- careers
- gallops
- beetles
- careens
- flits
- scuffles
- cracks (on)
- scampers
- shakes a leg
- streaks
- makes tracks
- gets a move on
- scuds
- sprints
- steps on it
- hotfoots (it)
- accelerates
- stampedes
- whizzes
- arrows
- overtakes
- outruns
- beelines
- quickens
- steps out
- outpaces
- catches up
- outstrips
- fast-forwards
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- pokes
- crawls
- creeps
- drags
- lags
- lingers
- pokes
- loiters
- hangs (around or out)
- strolls
- dawdles
- dallies
- saunters
- ambles
- shuffles
- tarries
- plods
- slows (down or up)
- dillydallies
- lumbers
- decelerates