nibble
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nib·ble
(nĭb′əl)v. nib·bled, nib·bling, nib·bles
v.tr.
1. To bite at gently and repeatedly.
2. To eat with small, quick bites or in small morsels: nibble a cracker.
3. To wear away or diminish bit by bit: "If you start compromising too early ... they nibble you to death" (People).
v.intr.
To take small or hesitant bites: fish nibbling at the bait.
n.
1. A very small quantity, especially of food; a morsel.
2. The act or an instance of nibbling.
[Middle English nebyllen; akin to Low German nibbelen.]
nib′bler n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
nibble
(ˈnɪbəl)vb
1. (esp of animals, such as mice) to take small repeated bites (of)
2. to take dainty or tentative bites: to nibble at a cake.
3. to bite (at) gently or caressingly
4. (intr) to make petty criticisms
5. (intr) to consider tentatively or cautiously: to nibble at an idea.
n
6. a small mouthful
7. an instance or the act of nibbling
8. (Cookery) (plural) informal small items of food, esp savouries, usually served with drinks
[C15: related to Low German nibbelen. Compare nib, neb]
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
nib•ble
(ˈnɪb əl)v. -bled, -bling,
n. v.i.
1. to bite off small bits: to nibble on a cracker.
2. to eat or chew in small bites.
3. to bite lightly or gently.
v.t. 4. to bite off or take small bits of (something).
5. to eat by biting off small pieces.
6. to bite gently.
7. nibble (away) at, to cause to decrease or diminish bit by bit.
n. 8. a small piece bitten off; morsel or bite.
9. an act or instance of nibbling.
10. a response by a fish to bait on a fishing line.
11. a tentative but positive response or reaction.
[1425–75; late Middle English nebillen to peck away at, nibble, try, perhaps < Middle Low German nibbelen to pick with the beak]
nib′bler,
n.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
nibble
Past participle: nibbled
Gerund: nibbling
| Imperative |
|---|
| nibble |
| nibble |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Noun | 1. |  nibble - a small byte computer memory unit - a unit for measuring computer memory byte - a sequence of 8 bits (enough to represent one character of alphanumeric data) processed as a single unit of information |
| 2. | nibble - gentle biting | |
| Verb | 1. | nibble - bite off very small pieces; "She nibbled on her cracker" bite, seize with teeth - to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws; "Gunny invariably tried to bite her" |
| 2. | nibble - bite gently; "The woman tenderly nibbled at her baby's ear" bite, seize with teeth - to grip, cut off, or tear with or as if with the teeth or jaws; "Gunny invariably tried to bite her" | |
| 3. | nibble - eat intermittently; take small bites of; "He pieced at the sandwich all morning"; "She never eats a full meal--she just nibbles" eat - take in solid food; "She was eating a banana"; "What did you eat for dinner last night?" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
nibble
noun
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
قَضْمَه صَغيرَهيَقْضُمُ بِرِفْقٍ
kousekokusovat
lille bid
naksunäykkäisynäykkiä
falatmajszol
nart, smábitinarta
knebinėtikramsnotilengva užkanda
kumosiņšskrubināt, knibināt
obhrýzať
grižljajgrizljati
azar azar ısırıp yemekdişlemeklokma
nibble
[ˈnɪbl]A. N
1. (= little bite) → mordisquito m
I never had a nibble all day (Fishing) → el corcho no se movió en todo el día
I never had a nibble all day (Fishing) → el corcho no se movió en todo el día
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
nibble
[ˈnɪbəl] vt [+ food] → grignoter; [+ ear, finger] → mordillerShe nibbled my ear lobe playfully → Taquine, elle me mordillait le lobe de l'oreille.
to nibble at sth (= eat) → grignoter qch
Mice have been nibbling at the skirting boards → Les souris ont grignoté les plinthes.
She nibbled at her food → Elle se contentait de grignoter.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
nibble
vi (→ an +dat) → knabbern; (= pick at) → herumnagen; (fig) → sich interessiert zeigen; to nibble at the bait (fig) → sich interessiert zeigen
n I think I’ve got a nibble → ich glaube, bei mir beißt einer an; I feel like a nibble (inf) → ich habe Appetit auf etwas, ich brauche etwas zwischen die Zähne (hum inf); nibbles (Brit: = snacks) → Knabbereien pl
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
nibble
[ˈnɪbl]1. vt (also nibble at)
a. (subj, mouse) → rosicchiare; (fish) → mordicchiare; (person, biscuit, nuts) → sgranocchiare; (bread, cheese) → sbocconcellare
2. vi (person) → mangiucchiare
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
nibble
(ˈnibl) verb to take very small bites (of). She was nibbling (at) a biscuit.
noun a small bite. Have a nibble of this cake.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.