nip¹ / nip/ • v. (nipped, nip·ping) 1. [tr.] pinch, squeeze, or bite sharply: the dog nipped him on the leg. ∎  (of the cold or frost) cause sharp pain or harm to: the vegetable garden, nipped now by frost. ∎  (nip something off) remove something by pinching or squeezing sharply.2. inf. defeat by a narrow margin.3. [tr.] inf. steal or snatch (something): if I nipped a five-dollar bill I could slip it back the next day.• n. a sharp pinch, squeeze, or bite. ∎  a feeling of biting cold: there was a real winter nip in the air.PHRASES: nip something in the bud suppress or destroy something, esp. at an early stage: the idea has been nipped in the bud at the local level.nip² • n. a small quantity or sip of liquor.• v. (nipped, nip·ping ) [intr.] take a sip or sips of liquor: the men nipped from the bottle.

Nip / nip/ • n. inf., offens. a Japanese person.

nip1 pinch XIV; snatch, seize smartly XVI; move nimbly XIX. prob. of LG. or Du. orig.; cf. †Sc. gnip (XIV), †knip (XVI).
Hence sb. XVI. nipper †thief XVI; costermonger's boy, (hence) youngster XIX.

nip2 †half-pint of ale XVIII; small quantity of spirits XIX. prob. short for †nipperkin (XVII) measure of half a pint or less, small quantity of drink, rel. to LG., Du. nippen.