nibble

American  

[nib-uhl] / ˈnɪb əl /

verb (used without object)

nibbled, nibbling

1. to bite off small bits.

2. to eat or chew in small bites.

   Give him a graham cracker to nibble on.

3. to bite, eat, or chew gently and in small amounts (usually followed byat ).

   She was so upset she could only nibble at her food.

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verb (used with object)

nibbled, nibbling

1. to bite off small bits of (something).

2. to eat (food) by biting off small pieces.

3. to bite in small bits.

   He nibbled each morsel with great deliberation.

noun

1. a small morsel or bit.

   Each nibble was eaten with the air of an epicure.

   Synonyms:

   crumb, taste, bite, tidbit

2. an act or instance of nibbling.

3. a response by a fish to bait on a fishing line.

4. any preliminary positive response or reaction.

idioms

1. nibble away at, to cause to decrease or diminish bit by bit: Also nibble at.

   Inflation was nibbling away at her savings. The rains nibbled at the loam.

nibble British  

/ ˈnɪbəl /

verb

1. (esp of animals, such as mice) to take small repeated bites (of)

2. to take dainty or tentative bites

   to nibble at a cake

3. to bite (at) gently or caressingly

4. (intr) to make petty criticisms

5. (intr) to consider tentatively or cautiously

   to nibble at an idea

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noun

1. a small mouthful

2. an instance or the act of nibbling

3. informal (plural) small items of food, esp savouries, usually served with drinks

Other Word Forms

• unnibbled adjective

Etymology

Origin of nibble

1425–75; late Middle English nebillen to peck away at, nibble, try, perhaps < Middle Low German nibbelen to pick with the beak; nib, -le

Example Sentences

"What that means is that, in the case of the squirrel, it nibbled on aloe and took those metabolites into its own bloodstream," explained Bromage.

From Science Daily

“We can nibble at the edges for you,” said Harris.

From The Wall Street Journal

Large herds of fallow deer cause problems for arable farmers throughout the year, too, trampling freshly planted crops in the spring and then returning to nibble their way through the fields ahead of harvest time.

From BBC

She threw him a birthday party on her yacht, where Kwatra and about 20 women cruised around Boston Harbour sipping Champagne and nibbling on bites prepared by a private chef.

From The Wall Street Journal

"We can sit down, have a nibble, and then just go back and forth and graze," said the 30-year-old.

From BBC

Related Words

• eat
• gnaw
• nip