nip C2+ Topic:Numbers & Quantity US /nɪp/ UK /nɪp/ See IPA manual Meanings 1 verb to pinch or bite sharply; a small quantity of spirits The puppy nipped at his heels playfully. Thesaurus Synonyms 1 verb · to pinch or bite sharply; a... pinchbitetweaksnipdramsiptotswig Word family Derived forms nippernippy Common collocations nip off Verb + adverb Etymology AI details From Middle English nippen ('to pinch'), of uncertain origin, probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin (compare Middle Dutch nipen 'to pinch'). Topics Numbers & Quantity External links Cambridge Dictionary Wiktionary Google Images # nip **Type:** Word **Level:** C2+ **Part of speech:** verb **IPA (US):** /nɪp/ **IPA (UK):** /nɪp/ ## Meanings 1. to pinch or bite sharply; a small quantity of spirits ## Examples - The puppy nipped at his heels playfully. ## Synonyms - pinch - bite - tweak - snip - dram - sip - tot - swig ## Derived Forms - nipper - nippy ## Etymology From Middle English nippen ('to pinch'), of uncertain origin, probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin (compare Middle Dutch nipen 'to pinch'). ## AI Etymology Nip comes from Middle English nippen ('to pinch'), of uncertain origin, probably of Low German or Scandinavian origin (compare Middle Dutch nipen 'to pinch'). As a verb, nip means to pinch or bite sharply; a small quantity of spirits. The same family is visible in derived forms such as nipper and nippy. The uncertainty belongs to the older derivation, so the explanation should preserve alternatives rather than choosing one unsupported origin. ## Topics - Numbers & Quantity markdown