nick
noun
a small notch, groove, chip, or the like, cut into or existing in something.
was nicking
-
past progressiveof nick.past progressive
Used to describe an ongoing action or continuous state that was happening at a specific time in the past.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
But it definitely came with a really hard tinge to it, and a kind of serrated edge that I felt like it was nicking me a lot of the time.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2020
‘Come go with me … down to the penitentiary’ — he was nicking folk-song words and chain-gang words and putting them into the Del-Vikings’ songs, a clever little bit of ingenuity.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2017
The moment he was inside, Harry burst out, “He was nicking Sirius’s stuff!”
From "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" by J.K. Rowling
And all the time he was nicking away, and in his hurry failing to get a spark to drop in the tinder.
From Cormorant Crag A Tale of the Smuggling Days by W. (William) Rainey
He had paused, and was nicking the blossoms off the geraniums in the fireplace with his pocket-handkerchief, looking moodily at his work the while.
From Laid up in Lavender by Stanley J. Weyman
