What does nip mean?
A nip is a small, sharply defined amount or movement: a quick pinch, a tiny bite, or a small sip. As a verb, to nip means to pinch, squeeze, or bite briefly and sharply. It can also describe the effect of cold, as in feeling a nip in the air, and in informal British English it can mean to take or steal something quickly. The word is especially useful when an ordinary description such as 'small' is not precise enough: a nip suggests not merely a small bite, but a brief or sharp one. It appears in familiar expressions including 'a nip of tea' and 'a nip of the cold,' while its verb forms are common in both British and American English.
To pinch, squeeze, or bite sharply and briefly; to take a small amount or, informally, to take something quickly.
"The frost nipped the grass in the garden."
The informal sense meaning to steal or take something quickly is especially associated with British English.
A small bite, sip, or amount; a sharp pinch; or a brief feeling of cold.
"She had a nip of the wind on her face."
The plural is used for separate small amounts, bites, sips, or pinches.
"The guide recommended a few nips of the strong liquor."
One word can mean a tiny bite, a small sip, or a sharp pinch: context turns an ordinary five-letter word into a precise instrument of size and pressure.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does nip come from?
The precise origin of the word is uncertain, and its historical development is not fully clear. It is recorded in Middle English and developed meanings associated with pinching, biting, and taking small amounts. Modern senses largely continue these older physical uses, while the informal sense meaning to take or steal quickly became established in the modern period.
Related word forms
How nip is actually used
The word is informal to neutral in everyday use. In the expression 'a nip of the cold,' it refers to a brief, sharp feeling of cold. The verb can also mean to steal or take something quickly, especially in informal British English.
Easily confused with nip
A nibble is a light, repeated bite, whereas a nip is typically a quick, small bite or a sharp pinch.