nickel

noun nick·el \ ˈni-kəl \

variants: or less commonly nickle

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of nickel

1 : a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst — see Chemical Elements Table

2 a (1) : the U.S. 5-cent piece regularly containing 25 percent nickel and 75 percent copper

(2) : the Canadian 5-cent piece

b : five cents

3 slang : a packet containing five dollars worth of an illicit drug (such as marijuana) — called also nickel bag

4 : a pass defense in football that employs five defensive backs

See nickel defined for English-language learners

See nickel defined for kids

Recent Examples of nickel from the Web

Airlines, hotels and rental car companies have switched to this nickel-and-diming business model to compete in a world where people shop online for travel products and make decisions based on price.

— NBC News, "Hidden or unexpected travel fees can break your vacation budget," 12 June 2018
The former Washington Huskies star has learned to hone his athleticism into a versatile role on this Panthers defense, slotting in at linebacker, safety and nickel packages when needed.

— brendan marks, charlotteobserver, "Dealing with Thomas Davis’ suspension? Panthers LB Shaq Thompson has a plan," 4 June 2018
Rookie Desmond King and third-year pro Adrian Phillips were valuable nickel and dime-package coverage men and run-defenders in 2017.

— mike digiovanna, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Chargers notes: Secondary a pain for opponents; Gordon's motivation," 14 May 2018
Without Berry around, running against the Chiefs' nickel and dime packages became agonizingly easy.

— sam mellinger, kansascity, "Decoding the overhauled Chiefs, and Brett Veach's first offseason | The Kansas City Star," 5 May 2018
Aluminium, nickel and palladium prices have soared and then plummeted.

— The Economist, "Donald Trump is sending shockwaves through global commodities markets," 26 Apr. 2018
San Francisco isn’t even nickel-and-diming us anymore.

— heather knight, San Francisco Chronicle, "Cable cars’ ding goes for your wallet, too," 27 Mar. 2018
Typically, an inside linebacker is the player that comes off the field in the nickel package.

— brad biggs, chicagotribune.com, "Bears Q&A: Why did the Bears match the Kyle Fuller offer right away? Why is Jerrell Freeman still on the roster?," 21 Mar. 2018
He’d be miscast as coverage safety but teams looking to play big in nickel and dime packages can find a use for Wilson. 8.

— zak keefer, Indianapolis Star, "Top 10 NFL free agents by position: Defense," 26 Feb. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'nickel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of nickel

probably from Swedish nickel, from German Kupfernickel niccolite (mineral containing nickel arsenide), probably from Kupfer copper + Nickel goblin; from the deceptive copper color of niccolite

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1755

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

NICKEL Defined for English Language Learners

nickel

noun

Definition of nickel for English Language Learners

: a hard silver-white metal
: a U.S. or Canadian coin that is worth five cents

NICKEL Defined for Kids

nickel

noun nick·el \ ˈni-kəl \

Definition of nickel for Students

1 : a hard silvery white metallic chemical element that can be highly polished, resists weathering, and is used in alloys

2 : a United States coin worth five cents

Medical Dictionary

nickel

noun nick·el \ ˈnik-əl \

medical Definition of nickel

: a silver-white hard malleable ductile metallic element capable of a high polish and resistant to corrosion that is used chiefly in alloys and as a catalyst —symbol Ni — see Chemical Elements Table