nip

n. 1. A seizing or closing in upon; a pinching; as, in the northern seas, the nip of masses of ice. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A pinch with the nails or teeth. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A small cut, or a cutting off the end. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A blast; a killing of the ends of plants by frost. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. A biting sarcasm; a taunt. Latimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. (Naut.) A short turn in a rope. [ 1913 Webster ]

Nip and tuck, a phrase signifying equality in a contest; as, it was nip and tuck right to the last minute of play. [ Low, U.S. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Nipped less properly Nipt; p. pr. & vb. n. Nipping ] [ OE. nipen; cf. D. niipen to pinch, also knippen to nip, clip, pinch, snap, knijpen to pinch, LG. knipen, G. kneipen, kneifen, to pinch, cut off, nip, Lith. knebti. ] 1. To catch and inclose or compress tightly between two surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed; to pinch; to close in upon. [ 1913 Webster ]

May this hard earth cleave to the Nadir hell,
Down, down, and close again, and nip me flat,
If I be such a traitress. Tennyson. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting edges of anything; to clip. [ 1913 Webster ]

The small shoots . . . must be nipped off. Mortimer. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Hence: To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor of; to destroy. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To vex or pain, as by nipping; hence, to taunt. [ 1913 Webster ]

And sharp remorse his heart did prick and nip. Spenser. [ 1913 Webster ]

To nip in the bud, to cut off at the very commencement of growth; to kill in the incipient stage. [ 1913 Webster ]

prop. n. A monotypic genus of palms of Australasia.
Syn. -- genus Nipa, Nypa, genus Nypa. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

2. from sap of an Australasian palm. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

n. 1. One who, or that which, nips. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A fore tooth of a horse. The nippers are four in number. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. A satirist. [ Obs. ] Ascham. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A pickpocket; a young or petty thief. [ Old Cant ] [ 1913 Webster ]

5. (Zool.) (a) The cunner. (b) A European crab (Polybius Henslowii). [ 1913 Webster ]

n. [ See 1st Nip. ] A small cup. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

n. pl. [ From 2d Nip. ] 1. Small pinchers for holding, breaking, or cutting. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. (Mach.) A device with fingers or jaws for seizing an object and holding or conveying it; as, in a printing press, a clasp for catching a sheet and conveying it to the form. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. (Naut.) A number of rope-yarns wound together, used to secure a cable to the messenger. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. Biting; pinching; painful; destructive; as, a nipping frost; a nipping wind. [ 1913 Webster ]

adv. In a nipping manner. [ 1913 Webster ]