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

Even though the goat tumbled around six feet, she emerged from the ordeal with only a nick on her elbow, Robertson said.

From Los Angeles Times

Burton replied: "You've never been nicked or had ye prints took anyway so doesn't matter".

From BBC

Brook played and missed, attempted two ramp shots after which he fell over both times, before nicking behind off Bosch's medium pace.

From BBC

"So sorry to hear about your bike getting nicked in Nottingham," the post said.

From BBC

The best he’ll do is trust they know he’s computed their running speed against the rate of the closing doors to ensure the humans make it in the nick of time.

From Salon