nick

[ nik ]

/ nɪk /

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noun

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

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.

a small dent or wound.

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

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

British Slang. prison.

verb (used with object)

to cut into or through: I nicked my chin while shaving.

to hit or injure slightly.

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

to record by means of a notch or notches.

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).

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

Slang. to trick, cheat, or defraud: How much did they nick you for that suit?

British Slang.

to arrest (a criminal or suspect).
to capture; nab.
to steal: Someone nicked her pocketbook on the bus.

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Idioms about nick

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.

Origin of nick

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

OTHER WORDS FROM nick

un·nicked, adjective

Words nearby nick

Nicholson, Nichrome, nicht, nicht wahr, Nicias, nick, nickel, nickel acetate, nickel-and-dime, Nickel Belt , nickel bloom

Other definitions for nick (2 of 2)

Nick

[ nik ]

/ nɪk /

noun

Old Nick.

a male given name, form of Nicholas.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021

How to use nick in a sentence

Nick asked her to quit her job to help out with his business.
The coming war on the hidden algorithms that trap people in poverty|Karen Hao|December 4, 2020|MIT Technology Review
His method is to slit open the sides of a box first, then slightly lift up the middle before you slice down, so you don’t puncture or nick anything packed near the top.
Mailing gifts this year? Here are tips from the pros on how to box up your items properly.|Jura Koncius|December 3, 2020|Washington Post
I moved back to Colorado in 2005 and logged 30 days on the mountain, learning to snowboard behind my friend Nick.
Skiing Up and Down Mount Shasta|Brendan Leonard|December 3, 2020|Outside Online
Just one grade ahead, Nick was tall and handsome and friendly.
A sweet book about first love|Terri Schlichenmeyer|October 11, 2020|Washington Blade

It wasn’t getting much traction, but a friend of Nick’s, who worked for an e-commerce agency, said that if the two could tweak it for building e-commerce pages specifically, his agency would use it and even pay them.
Shogun raises $35M to help brands take on Amazon with faster and better sites of their own|Ingrid Lunden|October 7, 2020|TechCrunch
The incident sparked his belief in Santa, but he would have to wait nearly two decades before dressing up as Jolly St. Nick.
Kerry Bentivolio: The Congressman Who Believes in Santa Claus|Ben Jacobs|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Internet media entrepreneur Nick Denton is a person to whom harsh judgments adhere like barnacles.
The Gospel According to Nick Denton—What Next For The Gawker Founder?|Lloyd Grove|December 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
For Nick Offerman, of Parks and Recreation, the one is a thing: whiskey.
Swimming Owls, Jane Krakowski’s Peter Pan Live! Audition, and More Viral Videos|The Daily Beast Video|December 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“The majority of it goes to Nick and Owen, to the company,” former RSD instructor Kole told me.
The Secret World of Pickup Artist Julien Blanc|Brandy Zadrozny|December 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pointing out that Nick Denton writes and speaks like a literate adult and not like a 14-year-old in remedial English.
Rage Against GamerGate’s Hate Machine: What I Got For Speaking Up|Arthur Chu|November 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Such of the sound waves is pass through the second nick will become attenuated in charging the chamber B.
The Recent Revolution in Organ Building|George Laing Miller
Tom pitched forward heavily, saving himself and his animal from an ignominious accident just in the nick of time.
The Wave|Algernon Blackwood
The nick-name of Gigonnet was applied to Bidault on account of a feverish, involuntary contraction of a leg muscle.
Repertory Of The Comedie Humaine, Complete, A -- Z|Anatole Cerfberr and Jules Franois Christophe
"Huh," grunted Mollie, as she flung herself upon Old Nick's back and patted him soothingly.
The Outdoor Girls in the Saddle|Laura Lee Hope
Nick came over and perched himself upon the table's edge, one leg swinging in the air.
Mistress Wilding|Rafael Sabatini

British Dictionary definitions for nick (1 of 2)

nick¹

/ (nɪk) /

noun

a small notch or indentation on an edge or surface

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

British a slang word for prison, police station

in good nick informal in good condition

in the nick of time at the last possible moment; at the critical moment

verb

(tr) to chip or cut

(tr) slang, mainly British

to steal
to take into legal custody; arrest

(intr often foll by off) informal to move or depart rapidly

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

(tr) to guess, catch, etc, exactly

(intr) (of breeding stock) to mate satisfactorily

nick someone for US and Canadian slang to defraud someone to the extent of

Word Origin for nick

C15: perhaps changed from C14 nocke nock

British Dictionary definitions for nick (2 of 2)

nick²

/ (nɪk) /

noun

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

Word Origin for nick

short for nickname

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Idioms and Phrases with nick

nick

see in the nick of time.

nick

Idioms about nick

Origin of nick

OTHER WORDS FROM nick

Words nearby nick

Other definitions for nick (2 of 2)

Words related to nick

How to use nick in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for nick (1 of 2)

Word Origin for nick

British Dictionary definitions for nick (2 of 2)

Word Origin for nick

Other Idioms and Phrases with nick