nick

1 of 2

noun

1
a
: a small notch, groove, or chip
For one thing, formal chairs, beds and tables require greater vigilance on the part of the owners to protect against nicks and spills.Sarah Collins
b
: a small cut or wound
got a few nicks from shaving
c
: a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond
2
: a final critical moment
in the nick of time
3
British, informal : prison
also : police station
… he said to me, "And how was it in the nick? Did they beat you in there at all?" Colin MacInnes
4
British, informal : condition
in good nick

nick

2 of 2

verb

nicked; nicking; nicks

transitive verb

1
: to jot down : record
2
a
: to make a nick in : notch, chip
… her favorite haunts are … department stores where she scores deep discounts on nicked furniture sold off the floor.Heather Lobdell
b
: to cut into or wound slightly
nicked himself shaving
I didn't have time to get my glove up, and the ball nicked my ear as it went past me.Steve Wulf
3
: to cut short
cold weather, which nicked steel and automobile outputTime
4
: to catch at the right point or time
5
: cheat, overcharge
"A cry of anguish ascended to high heavens," reported Business Week in 1933, "when millions of white-collar workers discovered that they had been nicked for a considerable percentage of their earnings when J. P. Morgan and partners had paid no income tax at all."Cynthia Crossen
6
a
British slang : arrest
The new owner, my brother, had installed all the window grilles and had them wired on a direct alarm to the police station so that if anyone tried to enter that way they would be nicked.Dick Francis
b
British slang : steal
To discover at the last moment that 24 cases of Schweppes had been nicked from the cellar was a horrible shock.Sunday Times

intransitive verb

1
: to make petty attacks : snipe
2
: to complement one another genetically and produce superior offspring

Examples of nick in a Sentence

Noun There are a couple of nicks on the painting. His face was covered with nicks and cuts after shaving. She spent a night in the nick. an economy in bad nick Verb He was nicked on the shoulder by a bullet. She was nicked for the theft. I nicked a couple of cars when I was younger.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Use a fresh blade that doesn’t have any nicks, avoid tipping the blade to keep the corners from digging in, and spritz the glass to add some lubrication. Jeanne Huber, Washington Post, 1 Mar. 2024 The specialized nut-safe blade pivots 30 degrees to glide over skin, minimizing the risk of cuts, nicks, or snags for a worry-free trim. Micaela Arnett, Rolling Stone, 22 Feb. 2024 Matthew Stafford did not take long to start picking up some nicks in bruises in his return to Detroit. Jared Ramsey, Detroit Free Press, 15 Jan. 2024 The tape is intended to protect the wiring from nicks. Jonathan M. Gitlin, Ars Technica, 2 June 2023 Save your hands from painful nicks and cuts by using a sharp chef's knife or mandoline when slicing the potatoes. Anna Theoktisto, Southern Living, 24 Dec. 2023 The rich formula helps prevent nicks and cuts while shea butter softens skin, leaving a subtle honeyflower scent. Celia Shatzman, Forbes, 30 Nov. 2023 Like most Away bags, this suitcase comes with a leather luggage tag and a scuff eraser for buffing out exterior nicks. Ashlea Halpern, wsj.com, 21 Oct. 2023 My hair was damaged from straightening treatments and dyes, and my legs were covered in razor nicks. Iman Hariri-Kia, Allure, 3 Oct. 2023
Verb
Schatz’s method nicks them for so-so competition and for rolling up their huge offensive totals in a dome. Childs Walker, Baltimore Sun, 8 Feb. 2024 My 'keto friend' makes that her meal and has to stab me in the hand with her fork to keep me from nicking it. Bahar Anooshahr, The Arizona Republic, 23 Jan. 2024 Also, snobs are as busy nicking notches on each rung of the social ladder as the gangster nicks each kill on his gun. Elsa Maxwell, Vogue, 29 Dec. 2023 One spent a month in a coma after her surgeon accidentally nicked her spleen. Aimee Ortiz, New York Times, 7 Dec. 2023 Advertisement Replays suggested that Waters, contesting the shot from the side, might have nicked Wood’s wrist on his follow-through. Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 20 Nov. 2023 During surgery, a doctor nicked an artery, which was then stitched up. Anna Wiener, The New Yorker, 13 Nov. 2023 On Cole Hutson, Sarkisian said the sophomore offensive lineman got nicked up during the practice week. Corey Smith, Dallas News, 3 Sep. 2023 Last week began with a report that North Korean hackers—who steal crypto to pay for their mad dictator’s nuclear weapons schemes—had their best year ever in 2022 and have already nicked $200 million so far this year. Jeff John Roberts, Fortune Crypto, 11 Sep. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'nick.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English nyke, probably alteration of nocke nock

First Known Use

Noun

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

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of nick was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near nick

Cite this Entry

“Nick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nick. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

nick

1 of 2 noun
1
: a small groove : notch
2
: chip entry 1 sense 4
a nick in a cup
3
: the last moment at which the result of an event can be changed
arrived in the nick of time

nick

2 of 2 verb
1
: to make a nick in
2
: to wound or cut slightly
nicked himself shaving

Medical Definition

nick

1 of 2 noun
: a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond

nick

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to produce a nick in (DNA)
circular DNA that has been nicked and closed

More from Merriam-Webster on nick

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