nip
noun/nɪp/
/nɪp/
- the act of giving somebody a small bite or pressing their skin together hard with your finger and thumb
- The dog gave her a painful nip on the leg.
- (informal) a feeling of cold
- There was a real nip in the air.
- (informal) a small drink of strong alcohol
Word Originnoun senses 1 to 2 late Middle English: probably of Low German or Dutch origin. noun sense 3 late 18th cent. (originally denoting a half-pint of ale): probably an abbreviation of the rare term nipperkin ‘small measure’; compare with Low German and Dutch nippen ‘to sip’.
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nip