niblick

American  

[nib-lik] / ˈnɪb lɪk /

noun

Golf.

1. a club with an iron head, the face of which has the greatest slope of all the irons, for hitting the ball with maximum loft.

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niblick British  

/ ˈnɪblɪk /

noun

1. golf (formerly) a club, a no. 9 iron, giving a great deal of lift

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Etymology

Origin of niblick

1855–60; perhaps nibble + -ick, variant of -ock

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

My 83 was a sorry thing, but I did hit a niblick to remember.

From Golf Digest • Jul. 29, 2017

But forget about carrying the golf clubs unless your collection is limited to a single niblick or mashie.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 15, 2016

Yaya Touré turned a foot into a niblick that dinked the ball up and into David Silva's path.

From The Guardian • Mar. 9, 2013

And then there are the nicknames for this inner society’s tools: big dog, flat stick, belly putter, cavity back, hosel, kickpoint, camber, off-set, niblick, mashie, brassie, bounce, flange.

From New York Times • May 31, 2010

I’m going to invest the game with a real sporting interest, develop the possibilities of the niblick, eliminate the merely mechanical, introduce a stronger element of chance.

From The Maker of Opportunities by Gibbs, George