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; cf. nib, -le

Explanation

To nibble is to eat in tiny bites. If you nibble your chocolate chip cookie while your sister gobbles hers quickly, yours will last much longer. Your pet rabbit probably nibbles on the carrots you give him, and he might even nibble, or bite very softly, on your fingers. Any one of these gentle or small bites can be called a nibble. The word probably stems from the Low German nibbeln, "to gnaw."

Example Sentences

"But the larger ants seemed to seek the attention of the smaller ants by first visiting their nests and then allowing the small ants to lick and nibble all over them."

From Science Daily • Apr. 14, 2026

Trading in currency markets, including a modest retreat for the dollar, suggest Wall Street is willing to nibble around the edges of a post-war trade.

From Barron's • Mar. 20, 2026

By the time you’re invited to nibble the pulp off seeds straight from a tamarind pod, a palate cleanser before dessert, you may have forgotten that the island you’re on is Manhattan.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The thin-cut vegetables make it easy to nibble a bite at a time, rather than staring down a full head of lettuce in a salad bowl.

From Salon • Jan. 29, 2026

“I’ve got an idea! Let’s grab a nibble and then curl up in the book cabin, to read the morning away and listen to the rain. Okay?”

From "Orphan Island" by Laurel Snyder

Related Words

• eat
• gnaw
• nip