nibble

1 of 2

verb

nib·​ble ˈni-bəl 

nibbled; nibbling ˈni-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to bite gently

b

: to eat or chew in small bits

2

: to take away bit by bit

waves nibbling the shore

intransitive verb

1

: to take gentle, small, or cautious bites

also : snack

2

: to deal with something as if by nibbling

nibbler

ˈni-b(ə-)lər 

noun

nibble

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of nibbling

2

: a very small quantity or portion (as of food)

also : snack

3

: a tentative expression of interest

Synonyms

Verb

• snack
• peck

Noun

• bite
• mouthful
• taste

Examples of nibble in a Sentence

Verb

We nibbled cheese and crackers.

We nibbled on some cheese and crackers before dinner.

Noun

He felt a nibble on his fishing line.

They served some delicious nibbles before dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

After going to the park with his owners, Brady the corgi started to nibble at his paw and kept kicking it into the grass as if trying to remove something. —Alyce Collins, MSNBC Newsweek, 10 July 2025

Afternoon tea is huge in Tokyo, with diners shelling out nearly 90 billion yen each year to nibble scones and petit-fours. —Jessica Kozuka, Travel + Leisure, 6 July 2025

Noun

Everton having a nibble at Aston Villa’s John McGinn is intriguing. —Phil Hay, New York Times, 8 July 2025

More sips and nibbles: National Sushi Day was Wednesday, but don't let the silly day-makers slow your summertime roll. —Deborah Sengupta Stith, Austin American Statesman, 2 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nibble

• nibble (away) at

Rhymes for nibble

• dibble
• dribble
• gribble
• kibble
• quibble
• scribble
• sibyl
• sybil

Kids Definition

nibble

verb

nib·​ble

ˈnib-əl

nibbled; nibbling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to bite or chew gently or bit by bit

nibble noun

nibbler

-(ə-)lər

noun