niblick
Americannoun
noun
Etymology
Origin of niblick
Explanation
A niblick is an old-fashioned kind of heavy golf club. The modern name for a niblick is a nine iron. When golf was brand new, all clubs were handmade out of wood, but as the sport grew more popular they became standardized and were sometimes made of iron. These iron clubs — or irons — originally had distinct individual names, including niblick, as well as "cleek" and "mashie," and were used from about 1903 until the 1930s. A niblick became known as a "nine iron," just one in a list of numbered iron clubs. The origin of the word niblick remains a complete mystery.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Old Morris passed on his mashie niblick — an early term for a seven iron — to his equally talented son, Young Tom Morris, who won the British Open four times from 1868 to 1872.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 29, 2025
It was also an impressive feat, given that Terry and his teammates were hitting rubberlike gutta percha balls with handmade wooden-shafted clubs that, instead of numbers, bore names like brassie, niblick, spoon and cleek.
From New York Times ● Oct. 31, 2021
He then had the humiliation of exchanging his putter for his niblick, and, we may assume without being unkind, that was the last seriously competitive round he ever played.
From Golf Digest ● Mar. 31, 2020
At free-kicks from the edge of the box he could affect a niblick chip into the top corner or a driven three-wood with draw or fade.
From The Guardian ● May 29, 2012
I wouldn't 'ave belleeved that meer wood and iron could 'ave done the work that that one German niblick did wivout turning an 'air.
From Mr. Punch's Golf Stories by Various
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