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• nip
  nip

  verb (used with object)

  to squeeze or compress tightly between two surfaces or points; pinch; bite.
• Nip
  Nip

  noun

  a contemptuous term used to refer to a Japanese person.

nip

¹ American  

[nip] / nɪp /

verb (used with object)

nipped, nipping

1. to squeeze or compress tightly between two surfaces or points; pinch; bite.

2. to take off by pinching, biting, or snipping (usually followed byoff ).

   He nipped off a piece of steak and gave it to the dog.

3. to check in growth or development.

4. to affect sharply and painfully or injuriously, as a very cold temperature.

   a cold wind that nips the fingers.

   Synonyms:

   chill, cut, pierce, bite, freeze

5. Informal. to snatch away suddenly.

6. Informal. to defeat (an opponent) by a very close margin; edge out.

7. Informal. to steal or pilfer.

8. Nautical.

   1. (of ice) to press (a ship) from opposite sides.

   2. to seize (a taut rope) to another rope.

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verb (used without object)

nipped, nipping

1. Chiefly British Slang. to leave stealthily; sneak away; flee (often followed byaway ).

noun

1. an act of nipping; a pinch or small bite.

   The dog took several nips at our heels.

2. a biting quality, as in cold or frosty air.

   There's a nip in the air this morning.

3. sharp cold; a sharp touch of frost.

   The trees had felt the first nip of winter.

4. a sharp or biting remark.

5. a biting taste or tang, especially in some cheese.

6. a small bit or quantity of anything.

   a nip of bread to stave off hunger.

7. Nautical.

   1. an abrupt turn or twist in a rope.

   2. a part of a rope or chain bound by a seizing or nipper.

8. Usually nips. nipper.

idioms

1. nip in the bud. bud.

2. nip and tuck, with each competitor equaling or closely contesting the speed, scoring, or efforts of the other.

   It was nip and tuck as to which sailboat would reach port first.

nip ² American  

[nip] / nɪp /

noun

1. a small drink of alcoholic liquor; sip.

   a person who relishes an occasional nip.

2. Chiefly British. split.

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verb (used with or without object)

nipped, nipping

1. to drink (alcoholic liquor) in small sips, especially repeatedly.

Nip ³ American  

[nip] / nɪp /

noun

Slang: Extremely Disparaging and Offensive.

1. a contemptuous term used to refer to a Japanese person.

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nip ¹ British  

/ nɪp /

verb

1. to catch or tightly compress, as between a finger and the thumb; pinch

2. (often foll by off) to remove by clipping, biting, etc

3. to give a small sharp bite (to)

   the dog nipped at his heels

4. (esp of the cold) to affect with a stinging sensation

5. to harm through cold

   the frost nipped the young plants

6. to check or destroy the growth of (esp in the phrase nip in the bud )

7. slang to steal

8. informal (intr; foll by along, up, out, etc) to hurry; dart

9. slang to snatch

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noun

1. the act of nipping; a pinch, snip, etc

2. 1. a frosty or chilly quality

   2. severe frost or cold

      the first nip of winter

3. a small piece or quantity

   he went out for a nip of fresh air

4. a sharp flavour or tang

5. archaic a taunting remark

6. 1. neck and neck

   2. informal plastic surgery performed for cosmetic reasons

7. slang to exert pressure on someone, esp in order to extort money

nip ² British  

/ nɪp /

noun

1. a small drink of spirits; dram

2. a measure of spirits usually equal to one sixth of a gill

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verb

1. to drink (spirits), esp habitually in small amounts

Nip ³ British  

/ nɪp /

noun

1. slang a derogatory word for a Japanese

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Sensitivity

This term, patterned on the earlier term Jap , was first used in English shortly after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

Etymology

Origin of nip¹

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English nippen, nipe(n), nip “to bite, pinch,” from Old Norse hnippa “to poke, thrust”

Origin of nip²

First recorded in 1690–1700; from Dutch nippen “to sip”; nip ² in def. 2, short for earlier nipperkin “vessel holding half-pint or less”

Origin of Nip³

First recorded in 1942; short for Nipponese

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Explanation

A nip is a tiny bite, a cold feeling, or a strong taste on your tongue. It’s also a verb for pinching or biting something, but not always in a bad way. Being nipped now and then isn’t a big deal. If a puppy nips your finger, no worries. The cold morning nip when you get out of bed is uncomfortable, but put on socks and you’re fine. Nipping can be a good thing sometimes, like in the phrase “nip it in the bud,” which means stopping a poor behavior or activity when it first starts. A nip can also mean a small sip of something, like hot chocolate — which is a good idea if you’re feeling a nip of a cold draft.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

nip Nip nipped nipping

The idea is that if plants can show they are struggling earlier, farmers can take targeted action to nip problems in the bud.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 19, 2026

“We just saw the beginning of that resurgence and we don’t want to nip that in the bud,” Zbur said in an interview.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 19, 2026

As competitors nip at their heels, OpenAI and Anthropic have been spurred to increase investment in both engineers and data-center access at the expense of profitability.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 17, 2026

Walsh suggested to Sir Jeffrey that he had gone because it was "something you needed to nip in the bud".

From BBC ● Jun. 12, 2026

“There are a lot of us who want to nip this thing in the bud.”

From "Here to Stay" by Sara Farizan

“I asked Nip, ‘You sure you want to put this out?’”

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2020

“They had no clue what he really was gonna do. I want everybody to know man, Nip put his heart and soul on Crenshaw and Slauson.”

From Washington Times ● Mar. 30, 2020

Patrick Nip, a Hong Kong official responsible for mainland affairs, said the vote depended on whether protesters halted violence.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 18, 2019

Nip this in the bud now, otherwise you might be setting yourself up for a married life full of swallowed words and in-law-related distress.

From Slate ● Mar. 13, 2017

Nip it in the bud, not butt, Ms. Hardwick, she answers, then adds, Sorta like when you prune a flower in the budding stage, to keep it from growing.

From "Booked" by Kwame Alexander

For decades, he supervised the coal conveyor belt that fed generators, breathing in dust and gas that "nipped his throat".

From Barron's ● Aug. 28, 2026

“You’ve stopped something growing. You’ve nipped it in the bud. You’ll never get it back, that moment, that shining morning face coming through the door.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 17, 2026

Robinson, from round the wicket, angled the ball in, then nipped it away off the surface and up the Lord's slope.

From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026

As Patrick Dorgu wheeled away having nipped in front of Rico Lewis to put the ball past Gianluigi Donnarumma, the Manchester derby was over.

From BBC ● May 19, 2026

Fall nipped at the air, sending a little shiver through me.

From "Hattie Big Sky" by Kirby Larson

Amex couldn’t resist a jab at the other credit-card companies nipping at its lounge heels: It will be the only operator with outlets at the three major metro New York airports.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2026

Before the conflict, Saudi Arabia was the world’s No. 1 crude-oil exporter, with the U.S. nipping at its heels after the yearslong boost in production following the shale revolution.

From MarketWatch ● Sep. 14, 2026

Mohammad Ali - 6 - Also better than he was at Headingley, nipping the ball in and out, but he won't find conditions better suited to his style.

From BBC ● Aug. 30, 2026

The intrusion was first detected by Hugging Face last week, when it noticed tens of thousands of AIs nipping at its system.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 29, 2026

In fact, it was always nipping at something: the Nerf ball, the gray soldiers, book covers.

From "Wringer" by Jerry Spinelli

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