1
a
: a small notch, groove, or chip
For one thing, formal chairs, beds and tables require greater vigilance on the part of the owners to protect against nicks and spills.—
Sarah Collins
Sarah Collins
b
: a small cut or wound
got a few nicks from shaving
c
: a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond
2
: a final critical moment
in the nick of time
3
British, informal
: prison
also
: police station
… he said to me, "And how was it in the nick? Did they beat you in there at all?" —Colin MacInnes
Colin MacInnes 4
British, informal
: condition
in good nick
nicked; nicking; nicks
1
: to jot down : record
2
b
: to cut into or wound slightly
nicked himself shaving
I didn't have time to get my glove up, and the ball nicked my ear as it went past me.—Steve Wulf
Steve Wulf3
: to cut short
cold weather, which nicked steel and automobile output—Time
Time4
: to catch at the right point or time
5
: cheat, overcharge
"A cry of anguish ascended to high heavens," reported Business Week in 1933, "when millions of white-collar workers discovered that they had been nicked for a considerable percentage of their earnings when J. P. Morgan and partners had paid no income tax at all."—Cynthia Crossen
Cynthia Crossen6
a
British slang
: arrest
The new owner, my brother, had installed all the window grilles and had them wired on a direct alarm to the police station so that if anyone tried to enter that way they would be nicked.—Dick Francis
Dick Francis
b
British slang
: steal
To discover at the last moment that 24 cases of Schweppes had been nicked from the cellar was a horrible shock.—Sunday Times
Sunday Times1
: to make petty attacks : snipe
2
: to complement one another genetically and produce superior offspring
Synonyms
Examples of nick in a Sentence
Noun
There are a couple of nicks on the painting.
His face was covered with nicks and cuts after shaving.
She spent a night in the nick.
an economy in bad nick
Verb
He was nicked on the shoulder by a bullet.
She was nicked for the theft.
I nicked a couple of cars when I was younger.
Recent Examples on the Web
Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
Dents or nicks in the blade: Damage to the blade can indicate that the lawn mower blades should be sharpened or replaced as soon as possible, depending on the severity of the damage.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2024
Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
The assassination attempt — where the FBI says a bullet nicked Trump’s ear — produced one of the most compelling political images in modern politics, when a bloodied Trump raised his fist defiantly.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nick 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Noun
While there are two small chips in the upper and lower right corners, a few scratches, and a nick on Ruth’s arm, the auction house still considers the photo to be in excellent condition.
—Tori Latham, Robb Report, 14 Oct. 2024
Dents or nicks in the blade: Damage to the blade can indicate that the lawn mower blades should be sharpened or replaced as soon as possible, depending on the severity of the damage.
—Timothy Dale, Better Homes & Gardens, 29 Sep. 2024
Verb
Republicans in July overcame qualms about Trump’s polarizing antics and legal problems to nominate him a third time, galvanized after an assassination attempt by a gunman whose bullets nicked Trump’s ear at a Pennsylvania rally, killed a supporter and raised national tensions.
—Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 6 Nov. 2024
The assassination attempt — where the FBI says a bullet nicked Trump’s ear — produced one of the most compelling political images in modern politics, when a bloodied Trump raised his fist defiantly.
—Kevin Rector, Los Angeles Times, 2 Nov. 2024
See all Example Sentences for nick
Dictionary Entries Near nick
Cite this Entry
“Nick.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/nick. Accessed 30 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
nick
1 of 2 noun1
: a small groove : notch
2
: chip entry 1 sense 4
a nick in a cup
3
: the last moment at which the result of an event can be changed
arrived in the nick of time
nick
2 of 2 verb1
: to make a nick in
2
: to wound or cut slightly
nicked himself shaving
Medical Definition
nick
1 of 2 noun
: a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond
nick
2 of 2 transitive verb
: to produce a nick in (DNA)
circular DNA that has been nicked and closed
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