nip

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++nip1 /nɪp/ verb (nipped, nipping)  1  [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British English informalGO to go somewhere quickly or for a short time 快走，急忙离去；去一会儿 SYN pop Have we time to nip down the pub for a quick drink? 我们有没有时间到酒吧去小坐一会儿喝点什么？ Another car nipped in (=moved quickly into a space) in front of me. 另一辆车突然插到我前面。 I’ve got to nip home and change my clothes. 我得赶快回家去换一下衣服。2  [intransitive, transitive]BITE to bite someone or something lightly 轻咬 She gently nipped the lobe of his ear. 她轻咬着他的耳垂。nip at The fish swam all around her and nipped at her legs. 鱼儿在她身边游来游去，轻轻咬着她的双腿。3  nip something in the bud PREVENTto prevent something from becoming a problem by stopping it as soon as it starts 把某事物消灭在萌芽状态；对某事物一开始即加以阻止 Try to nip this kind of bad behaviour in the bud. 要尽早制止这种不良行为。4  [transitive] British EnglishPRESS to suddenly and quickly press something tightly between two fingers, edges, or surfaces 夹；钳；掐 → pinch Sally nipped her cheeks to make them look less pale. 萨莉拧了拧自己的脸颊，好让脸色看上去不那么苍白。 He nipped his finger in the door. 他的手指被门夹了一下。5  [intransitive, transitive] writtenHURT if cold weather or the wind nips at part of your body or at a plant, it hurts or damages it 〔严寒天气或寒风〕冻得人疼痛；把植物冻坏nip at The frost nipped at our fingers. 严寒的天气让我们手指冻得生疼。6 nip something ↔ off phrasal verb DLGREMOVEto remove a small part of something, especially a plant, by pressing it tightly between your finger and thumb 掐掉，摘去〔尤指植物的一部分〕 She nipped off a dead flower. 她掐掉了一朵凋谢的花。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

nip• Note the fare rate number printed on the part to be nipped.• A school of fish swam around her feet, some nipping at her ankles.• It is a reflex born of predation by voracious crabs that nip at the tender tubeworm plumes with their claws.• In this case a budding urethral neurosis was nipped before it could really blossom.• She used those wolves for all they were worth, as though imaginary wolves still nipped her heels in the Clifton Mall.• The objective is to prevent, or at least nip in the bud, unwanted feelings.• When I took the hamster out of his cage, he nipped me.• Guideline 18: Try to nip misbehaviour in the bud.• I was surprised how weak and light-headed I felt on nipping out of my hospital bed to recover a dropped book.• I could nip round the corner and bring some back for us both.• Keep the plants covered to keep frost from nipping them.nip at• This stupid dog keeps nipping at my ankles.

Related topics: Drink

nip2 noun [countable]  1  PRESSthe act or result of biting something lightly or pressing something between two fingers, edges, or surfaces 咬(住)；夹(住) His dog gave me a painful nip on the leg. 他的狗咬疼了我的腿。2  DFDDRINKa small amount of strong alcoholic drink 少量的烈性酒nip of a nip of brandy 一点白兰地酒3. a nip in the air COLDcoldness in the air 空气中的寒气[寒意]4  nip and tuck informal a) American EnglishNOT SURE equally likely to happen or not happen 概率相等，均有可能 We made it to the airport, but it was nip and tuck. 我们赶到了机场，不过险得很。 b) American EnglishEQUAL if two competitors are nip and tuck in a race or competition, they are doing equally well 并驾齐驱，不相上下 SYN neck and neck The fourth quarter was nip and tuck, but the Bulls won 92–90. 第四节两队不相上下，不过公牛队最后以92比90取得了胜利。 c) a medical operation on your face or stomach that is done to make you look younger or thinner 整容手术 I might consider getting a nip and tuck in a few years' time. 过几年我可能会考虑去做个整容手术。

Examples from the Corpus

nip• He thought she might be on the point of offering him a nip of whisky but she did not go that far.• A nip here, a tuck there, and it was seven years ago.• He took to having a daily early-morning nip from a half-bottle of whisky in his hip pocket.• The dog gave me a playful nip.• He called his technique nips for blips, blips being the little green numbers that represent bond prices on the screens.• The nip on my cheeks of it confirms life.• It was nip and tuck up to 7-7 before Best opened up a 12-9 lead.• Already, the darkness was closing in, and there was a real winter nip in the air.• He was shortly drinking hard, following bourbon two-fers with nip bottles of Lucky Lager.Origin nip1 (1300-1400) Middle Low German nipen nip2 1. (1500-1600) → NIP12. (1900-2000) Nipponese “Japanese” ((19-21 centuries)), from Japanese Nippon “Japan”3. (1700-1800) Probably from nipperkin “small container for alcoholic drink” ((17-19 centuries)), probably from Dutch or Low German

nip1 verbnip2 nounChinese  

to somewhere go quickly Corpus short a time for or

nip

I

nip¹ /nɪp/ verb (past tense and past participle nipped, present participle nipping)1. [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] British English informal to go somewhere quickly or for a short time
   SYN  pop:
    Have we time to nip down the pub for a quick drink?
    Another car nipped in (=moved quickly into a space) in front of me.
    I’ve got to nip home and change my clothes.
2. [intransitive and transitive] to bite someone or something lightly:
    She gently nipped the lobe of his ear.
    nip at
    The fish swam all around her and nipped at her legs.
3. nip something in the bud to prevent something from becoming a problem by stopping it as soon as it starts:
    Try to nip this kind of bad behaviour in the bud.
4. [transitive] British English to suddenly and quickly press something tightly between two fingers, edges, or surfaces ⇨ pinch:
    Sally nipped her cheeks to make them look less pale.
    He nipped his finger in the door.
5. [intransitive and transitive] written if cold weather or the wind nips at part of your body or at a plant, it hurts or damages it
    nip at
    The frost nipped at our fingers.
     
nip something ↔ off phrasal verb
  to remove a small part of something, especially a plant, by pressing it tightly between your finger and thumb:
    She nipped off a dead flower.

II

nip² noun [countable]1. the act or result of biting something lightly or pressing something between two fingers, edges, or surfaces:
    His dog gave me a painful nip on the leg.
2. a small amount of strong alcoholic drink
    nip of
    a nip of brandy
3. a nip in the air coldness in the air
4. nip and tuck informal
  a. American English equally likely to happen or not happen:
    We made it to the airport, but it was nip and tuck.
  b. American English if two competitors are nip and tuck in a race or competition, they are doing equally well
   SYN  neck and neck:
    The fourth quarter was nip and tuck, but the Bulls won 92–90.
  c. a medical operation on your face or stomach that is done to make you look younger or thinner:
    I might consider getting a nip and tuck in a few years' time.