nick
English meaning: Nick
Definition
A small cut in a surface.
Example
“There was a tiny nick in the edge of the wooden table.”
Another example: “He cut himself shaving and was left with a small nick on his chin.”
Usage — When, Where & How
Neutral; a noun for a small cut or notch in a surface, and informally (British slang) a verb meaning to steal or to arrest. The idiom 'in the nick of time' means at the last possible moment.
Etymology & Origin
English — Origin & History
Late Middle English, of uncertain origin, possibly related to 'niche'; the slang senses 'steal' and 'arrest' are British, from the 19th–20th century.
Related Words
Common Collocations
- nick of time
- tiny nick
- nick in the blade
- nick yourself
- good nick
- nick the ball
Word Forms
nick (n & v); nicks (pl); nicked; nicking
Word Tools
Literary Heritage
“To thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, thou canst not then be false to any man.”
/To thine own self be true/
“Be honest with yourself — and as naturally as night follows day, you will be unable to be false to others.”
“I'm nobody! Who are you? Are you nobody, too?”
/I'm nobody! Who are you?/
“I am nobody — and that quiet anonymity is more honest than the noise of public fame.”
Images
CC-licensed · free to useVideo
Language information
- Language
- English
- English
- Script
- Latin
- Family
- Indo-European
- Speakers
- 1.5B