nick

¹

[nik]

noun

1. a small notch, groove, chip, or the like, cut into or existing in something.

2. 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.

3. a small dent or wound.

4. a small groove on one side of the shank of a printing type, serving as a guide in setting or to distinguish different types.

5. Biochemistry.,  a break in one strand of a double-stranded DNA or RNA molecule.

6. British Slang.,  prison.

verb (used with object)

1. to cut into or through.

   I nicked my chin while shaving.

2. to hit or injure slightly.

3. to make a nick or nicks in (something); notch, groove, or chip.

4. to record by means of a notch or notches.

5. 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).

6. to hit, guess, catch, etc., exactly.

7. Slang.,  to trick, cheat, or defraud.

   How much did they nick you for that suit?

8. British Slang.

   1. to arrest (a criminal or suspect).

   2. to capture; nab.

   3. to steal.

      Someone nicked her pocketbook on the bus.

Nick

²

[nik]

noun

1. Old Nick.

2. a male given name, form of Nicholas.

nick

¹

/ nɪk /

noun

1. a small notch or indentation on an edge or surface

2. a groove on the shank of a printing type, used to orientate type and often to distinguish the fount

3. a slang word for prison police station

4. informal,  in good condition

5. at the last possible moment; at the critical moment

verb

1. (tr) to chip or cut

2. slang,  (tr)

   1. to steal

   2. to take into legal custody; arrest

3. informal,  to move or depart rapidly

4. to divide and reset (certain of the tail muscles of a horse) to give the tail a high carriage

5. (tr) to guess, catch, etc, exactly

6. (intr) (of breeding stock) to mate satisfactorily

7. slang,  to defraud someone to the extent of

nick

²

/ nɪk /

noun

1. computing an alias adopted by a member of a chatroom or forum; nickname

Other Word Forms

• unnicked adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of nick¹

1475–85; obscurely akin to Old English gehnycned wrinkled, Old Norse hnykla to wrinkle

Word History and Origins

Origin of nick¹

C15: perhaps changed from C14 nocke _nock

Origin of nick²

short for _nickname

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. in the nick of time, at the right or vital moment, usually at the last possible moment.

   The fire engines arrived in the nick of time.

see in the nick of time.

Example Sentences

Ben Duckett nicked Scott Boland to slip to begin the collapse and five other wickets followed later but those three wickets in six balls were Australia's crucial blow.

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"If you put your toes in the water, there is a great risk you'll get nicked," he told them.

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Thankfully, the ruckus in the henhouse had summoned Dr. Westminster back from his rounds; he came jogging in just in the nick of time.

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Again, Penelope stopped herself in the nick of time, for she could easily have added, “Imagine, trying to find my way to the zoo by following the smell of elephants!”

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On 98 I nicked a ball to second slip.

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