Nip

及物动词 vt. & 不及物动词 vi.1.啃咬；掐；咬住；夹住；捏 I nipped my finger in the door.我的手指头让门夹了一下。The dog nipped him in the leg.那只狗咬了他的腿。及物动词 vt.1.伤害;摧残;冻伤 The cold weather has nipped the fruit trees.寒冷的气候冻坏了果树。不及物动词 vi.1.快走；赶快；快速去（某处）；急忙赶往 I’ll nip out and buy a newspaper.我赶紧出门买份报纸。2.将…扼杀在萌芽状态；防患于未然 I do not want drugs in this school. It’s essential that we nip the problem in the bud so I want a meeting with all the parents next week.我不希望学校里出现毒品。关键在于防患于未然，下周我要召开全体家长会。The scheme to allow all pensioners a free travel pass was nipped in the bud by the government, who said it would cost too much.政府认为为所有领养老金者提供免费旅游通行证的计划耗资过大，因此刚有人提出就被否决了。3.掐去； 剪掉 She nipped off the dead leaves.她剪掉了枯叶。4.(比赛或竞赛中)势均力敌；不分上下；并驾齐驱 With another 100 metres to go, Jones and Saville are nip and tuck.赛跑还剩100米时，琼斯和萨维尔不相上下。名词 n.1.啃咬；掐2.寒冷；寒意3.少量的烈酒

Webster Collegiate

I. verb (nipped; nipping)

• Etymology: Middle English nippen; akin to Middle Dutch nipen to pinch, Old Norse hnippa to prod
• Date: 14th century
• transitive verb
  • 1.
    • a. to catch hold of and squeeze tightly between two surfaces, edges, or points ; pinch, bite <the dog nipped his ankle>
    • b. to pinch in (as a garment) <a dress nipped at the waist>
  • 2.
    • a. to sever by or as if by pinching sharply
    • b. to destroy the growth, progress, or fulfillment of <nipped in the bud>
  • 3. to injure or make numb with cold ; chill
  • 4. snatch, steal
  • 5. to defeat by a small margin
• intransitive verb
  • 1. to move briskly, nimbly, or quickly
  • 2. chiefly British to make a quick trip

II. noun

• Date: 1549
• 1. something that nips: as
  • a. archaic a sharp biting comment
  • b. a sharp stinging cold <a nip in the air>
  • c. a biting or pungent flavor ; tang <cheese with a nip>
• 2. the act of nipping ; pinch, bite
• 3. the region of a squeezing or crushing device (as a calender) where the rolls or jaws are closest together
• 4. a small portion

III. noun

• Etymology: probably from nipperkin, a liquor container
• Date: circa 1796
• a small quantity of liquor ; sip; also a very small bottle of liquor

IV. intransitive verb (nipped; nipping)

• Date: 1887
• to take liquor in nips ; tipple

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