nip

A small bite of something is a nip.

• I could feel the fish nipping at my feet as they dangled in the water.
• Sandra’s puppy gave her a little nip.
• The cold air is nipping at my nose.
• We’re going to have to nip this problem in the bud before it becomes too big. (To "nip it in the bud" is an expression.)
• We need to nip it in the bud.
• The dog gave the man more than a little nip. It was definitely a bite.

 That’s not a nip!

Sometimes the word "nip" is short for the word "nipple."

• Bob has a big scar just below his left nip.
• A person’s nips might get hard when it’s cold outside or when getting out of a swimming pool.
• An actress let one of her nips slip out of her dress in order to get some attention from photographers.

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April 9, 2016