nip in the bud

To destroy or put a stop to (something) at its very beginning

nip¹ /nip/

transitive verb (nippˈing; nipped /nipt/)

1. To pinch
2. To press between two surfaces
3. To remove or sever by pinching or biting (often with off)
4. (eg of the cold or frost) to halt the growth or vigour of (eg vegetation)
5. (esp of cold weather) to give a smarting or tingling feeling to
6. To concern closely and painfully (obsolete)
7. To reprehend sharply (obsolete)
8. To snatch (esp US)
9. To steal (informal)
10. To arrest (slang)

intransitive verb

1. To pinch
2. To smart
3. To go nimbly or quickly (informal)

noun

1. An act or experience of nipping
2. The pinch of cold
3. A halt to the growth of vegetation caused eg by the cold or frost
4. A nipping quality
5. Pungency or bite (Scot)
6. A sharp reprehension (obsolete)
7. A more or less gradual thinning out of a stratum (mineralogy)
8. A simple fastening of a rope by twisting it round the object
9. A part of a rope fastened in this way (nautical)
10. A small piece, such as might be nipped off
11. A cutpurse (old slang)

nippˈer noun

1. A person who or thing which nips
2. A chela or great claw, eg of a crab
3. A horse's incisor, esp of the middle four
4. A pickpocket or cutpurse (slang)
5. A boy assistant to a costermonger, carter, etc
6. A little boy or (sometimes) girl (informal)
7. (in pl) small pincers
8. (in pl) any of various pincer-like tools
9. (in pl) handcuffs (informal)

transitive verb

To seize (two ropes) together

nippˈily adverb

nippˈiness noun

nippˈingly adverb

nippˈy adjective

1. Pungent, biting
2. Nimble, quick (informal)
3. Niggardly
4. (esp of weather) very cold, frosty

noun (with cap; old)

A waitress, esp one in a Lyons teashop (also Nippˈie)

nipˈcheese noun

1. A stingy person (slang)
2. A purser (obsolete nautical)

nip and tuck

1. Cosmetic surgery (informal)
2. (US) at full speed
3. Neck and neck

nip in

To cut in

nip in the bud see under bud¹