Nip

//nɪp// adj, name, noun, verb, slang

Definitions

Adjective
  1. 1
    Japanese. dated, ethnic, not-comparable, offensive, slang, slur
  2. 2
    Abbreviation of new in package. abbreviation, alt-of, not-comparable
Proper Noun
  1. 1
    Abbreviation of National Immunization Program. US, abbreviation, alt-of
Noun
  1. 1
    A playful bite.

    "The puppy gave his owner’s finger a nip."

  2. 2
    A small amount of food or drink, (particularly) a small amount of liquor.

    "I’ll just take a nip of that cake."

  3. 3
    A nipple, usually of a woman. in-plural, slang, vulgar

    "Did you manage to sneak a peek at her nips, bro?"

  4. 4
    A hamburger. Northwestern, Ontario
  5. 5
    Alternative spelling of Nip; a Japanese person. alt-of, alternative, dated, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur
Show 19 more definitions
  1. 6
    A Japanese person. dated, ethnic, offensive, slang, slur

    "CHUNGKING, Oct. 10—Chinese counterblows against the Japanese offensive in south China have reeled the Nips back from two towns in the approaches to Kweilin, capital city of Kwangsi Province, today’s Chinese High Command communique announced."

  2. 7
    Abbreviation of non-native invasive plant. abbreviation, alt-of
  3. 8
    a small sharp bite or snip wordnet
  4. 9
    A pinch with the nails or teeth.
  5. 10
    Abbreviation of notice of intended prosecution. UK, abbreviation, alt-of
  6. 11
    a tart spicy quality wordnet
  7. 12
    Briskly cold weather.

    "There is a nip in the air. It is nippy outside."

  8. 13
    the property of being moderately cold wordnet
  9. 14
    A seizing or closing in upon; a pinching

    "the nip of masses of ice"

  10. 15
    the taste experience when a savoury condiment is taken into the mouth wordnet
  11. 16
    A small cut, or a cutting off the end.
  12. 17
    (offensive slang) offensive term for a person of Japanese descent wordnet
  13. 18
    A more or less gradual thinning out of a stratum.
  14. 19
    a small drink of liquor wordnet
  15. 20
    A blast; a killing of the ends of plants by frost.
  16. 21
    A biting sarcasm; a taunt.
  17. 22
    A short turn in a rope.
  18. 23
    The place of intersection where one roll touches another
  19. 24
    A pickpocket. UK, obsolete

    "A novice nip, newly arrived in London, went one afternoon to the Red Bull in Bishopsgate, an inn converted to a playhouse."

Verb
  1. 1
    To catch and enclose or compress tightly between two surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed; to pinch; to close in upon.

    "May this hard earth cleave to the Nadir hell, Down, down, and close again, and nip me flat, If I be such a traitress."

  2. 2
    To have erect nipples. slang, vulgar
  3. 3
    To make a quick, short journey or errand, usually a round trip. informal

    "Why don’t you nip down to the grocer’s for some milk?"

  4. 4
    give a small sharp bite to wordnet
  5. 5
    To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting edges of anything; to clip.

    "The small shoots ... must be nipt off."

Show 9 more definitions
  1. 6
    sever or remove by pinching or snipping wordnet
  2. 7
    To benumb [e.g., cheeks, fingers, nose] by severe cold.
  3. 8
    squeeze tightly between the fingers wordnet
  4. 9
    To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy.
  5. 10
    To annoy, as by nipping.

    "And sharp remorse his heart did prick and nip."

  6. 11
    To taunt.
  7. 12
    To squeeze or pinch. Northern-England, Scotland
  8. 13
    To steal; especially to cut a purse. UK, obsolete

    "Ben mort, shall you and I heave a bough, mill a ken, or nip a bung, and then we'll couch a hogshead under the ruffmans, and there you shall wap with me, and I'll niggle with you."

  9. 14
    To affect [one] painfully; to cause physical pain.' obsolete

    "He had never expected to fling the soldier, or to be flung by Flea. “One nips or is nipped,” he thought, “and never knows beforehand. …""

Etymology

Etymology 1

From late Middle English nippen, probably of Low German or Dutch origin, probably a byform of earlier *knippen (suggested by the derivative Middle English knippette (“pincers”)), from Middle Low German knîpen, from Old Saxon *knīpan, from Proto-West Germanic *knīpan, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *knīpaną (“to pinch”). Related to Dutch nijpen, knijpen (“to pinch”), Danish nive (“pinch”); Swedish nypa (“pinch”); Low German knipen; German kneipen and kneifen (“to pinch, cut off, nip”), Old Norse hnippa (“to prod, poke”); Lithuanian knebti.

Etymology 2

From late Middle English nippen, probably of Low German or Dutch origin, probably a byform of earlier *knippen (suggested by the derivative Middle English knippette (“pincers”)), from Middle Low German knîpen, from Old Saxon *knīpan, from Proto-West Germanic *knīpan, ultimately from Proto-Germanic *knīpaną (“to pinch”). Related to Dutch nijpen, knijpen (“to pinch”), Danish nive (“pinch”); Swedish nypa (“pinch”); Low German knipen; German kneipen and kneifen (“to pinch, cut off, nip”), Old Norse hnippa (“to prod, poke”); Lithuanian knebti.

Etymology 3

Short for nipperkin, ultimately from Middle Low German nippen or Middle Dutch nipen ("to sip; nip"; > Dutch nippen). Compare also German nippen (“to sip; taste”).

Etymology 4

Clipping of nipple.

Etymology 5

Clipping of nipple.

Etymology 6

Canada 1931.

Etymology 7

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Etymology 8

Clipping of Nipponese, derived from Nippon, from Japanese 日本 (Nippon).

Etymology 9

Clipping of Nipponese, derived from Nippon, from Japanese 日本 (Nippon).

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