a small notch, groove, chip, or the like, cut into or existing in something.
a hollow place produced in an edge or surface, as of a dish, by breaking, chipping, or the like.
I didn't notice those tiny nicks in the vase when I bought it.
a small dent or wound.
a small groove on one side of the shank of a printing type, serving as a guide in setting or to distinguish different types.
Biochemistry. a break in one strand of a double-stranded DNA or RNA molecule.
British Slang. prison.
to cut into or through.
I nicked my chin while shaving.
to hit or injure slightly.
to make a nick or nicks in (something); notch, groove, or chip.
to record by means of a notch or notches.
to incise certain tendons at the root of (a horse's tail) to give it a higher carrying position; make an incision under the tail of (a horse).
to hit, guess, catch, etc., exactly.
Slang. to trick, cheat, or defraud.
How much did they nick you for that suit?
British Slang.
to arrest (a criminal or suspect).
to capture; nab.
to steal.
Someone nicked her pocketbook on the bus.
a small notch or indentation on an edge or surface
a groove on the shank of a printing type, used to orientate type and often to distinguish the fount
a slang word for prison police station
informal in good condition
at the last possible moment; at the critical moment
(tr) to chip or cut
slang (tr)
to steal
to take into legal custody; arrest
informal to move or depart rapidly
to divide and reset (certain of the tail muscles of a horse) to give the tail a high carriage
(tr) to guess, catch, etc, exactly
(intr) (of breeding stock) to mate satisfactorily
slang to defraud someone to the extent of
1475–85; obscurely akin to Old English gehnycned wrinkled, Old Norse hnykla to wrinkle
A nick is a tiny cut or scratch. Your neighbor might be so proud and protective of his brand new car that even a nick in its paint would be deeply upsetting to him. To make a nick is also to nick: you might accidentally nick your dog when you're cutting tangles and mats out of her fur, or nick yourself when you're gathering up pieces of a broken glass in the sink. Informally, you also nick someone when you cheat them out of some cash or nick something when you steal it. If help arrives "in the nick of time," it comes at the very last possible second.
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
According to the petition, Nick Reiner should have received half of the money when he turned 30, with the other half available to him five years later.
From Barron's • Jun. 9, 2026
That they picked one with Nick Bilton’s rich and diverse experience, rather than somebody else’s rich and diverse experience, tells you only that he had something they were looking for.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
Nick Plumb, a director at the Power to Change think tank, says that the sight of open criminality on the High Street fuels feelings of "powerlessness" - a force that's proving potent in UK politics.
From BBC • Jun. 7, 2026
On Nick Madrigal’s sharp line drive in the third inning, the pitcher reached for the ball and popped it up with the tip of his glove.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2026
“Okay, okay. Nice hustle,” Nick says, clapping his hand against his fist.
From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
