nick

noun
UK: /nɪk/
US: /nɪk/

  1. A small cut or scratch on a surface.

    1. I found a nick on my new table. [ ] [ ]
    2. The car received a small nick during the minor accident, requiring a touch-up. [ ] [ ]

  2. A point in time, especially the last possible moment.

    1. He arrived in the nick of time. [ ] [ ]
    2. The rescue team arrived in the nick of time to save the stranded hikers. [ ] [ ]

  3. A thief.

    1. The nick stole my wallet. [ ] [ ]
    2. Police apprehended the nick who had been operating in the neighborhood. [ ] [ ]

Synonyms

dent notch scratch pinch swipe snatch steal thief
nick verb

  1. To cut or scratch slightly.

    1. I nicked myself shaving this morning. [ ] [ ]
    2. Be careful not to nick the paint while you are installing the new fixture. [ ] [ ]

  2. To steal something.

    1. Someone tried to nick my bike. [ ] [ ]
    2. He attempted to nick a few items from the store, but he was caught by security. [ ] [ ]
nick transitive-verb

  1. To steal or take something quickly and often illegally.

    1. He nicked the candy bar. [ ] [ ]
    2. The kids nicked apples from the neighbor's orchard without permission. [ ] [ ]
nick intransitive-verb

  1. To steal or pilfer, often something of little value.

    1. She likes to nick things. [ ] [ ]
    2. The habit of nicking small items developed into a bigger problem later in life. [ ] [ ]

Frequently Asked Questions

The word "nick" in English means: A small cut or scratch on a surface., A point in time, especially the last possible moment., A thief..

The phonetic transcription of "nick" is /nɪk/ in British English and /nɪk/ in American English. Click the 🔊 button to hear both pronunciations.

Synonyms for "nick": dent, notch, scratch, pinch, swipe, snatch, steal, thief.

Example usage of "nick": "I found a nick on my new table.". More examples on the page.