Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • intransitive verb To bite at gently and repeatedly.
  • intransitive verb To eat with small, quick bites or in small morsels.
  • intransitive verb To wear away or diminish bit by bit.
  • intransitive verb To take small or hesitant bites.
  • noun A very small quantity, especially of food; a morsel.
  • noun The act or an instance of nibbling.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To eat by biting or gnawing off small bits; gnaw.
  • To bite very slightly or gently; bite off small pieces of.
  • To catch; nab.
  • To bite gently; bite off small pieces: as, fishes nibble at the bait.
  • Figuratively, to carp; make a petty attack: with at.
  • To fidget the fingers about.
  • noun The act of nibbling; a little bite; also, a small morsel or bit.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • transitive verb To bite by little at a time; to seize gently with the mouth; to eat slowly or in small bits.
  • transitive verb To bite upon something gently or cautiously; to eat a little of a thing, as by taking small bits cautiously.
  • noun A small or cautious bite.
  • noun An expression of interest, often tentative, as at the beginning of a sale or negotiation process.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun A small, quick bite taken with the front teeth.
  • noun in the plural, nibbles Small snacks such as crisps/potato chips or nuts, often eaten to accompany drinks.
  • verb transitive To eat with small, quick bites.
  • verb transitive To bite lightly.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • verb bite off very small pieces
  • noun a small byte
  • verb bite gently
  • verb eat intermittently; take small bites of
  • noun gentle biting

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English nebyllen; akin to Low German nibbelen.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

Perhaps from Middle Low German nibbelen ("to gnaw").

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Examples

  • Of course, despite that he is after all * nibble nibble* a member of SG5, which means that we * ssslurp* try to include him in some of our class activities.

    jaimewolf Diary Entry jaimewolf 2004

  • No single nibble is that dramatic or burdensome, but over the decades they threaten to convert any stable democracy into a big, inefficient, favor-ridden state.

    How America Can Rise Again 2010

  • No single nibble is that dramatic or burdensome, but over the decades they threaten to convert any stable democracy into a big, inefficient, favor-ridden state.

    How America Can Rise Again 2010

  • This morning, for example, it was a quick flit through the studios of SKY News and a quick nibble from the toothless gums of our Eamonn.

    Brown's Whirling Dervishes 2008

  • This morning, for example, it was a quick flit through the studios of SKY News and a quick nibble from the toothless gums of our Eamonn.

    Archive 2008-01-06 2008

  • Not a nibble from the Administration, which instead chose to embarrass the residents with the misbegotten site for going on eight months.

    Plainfield.com version 3.0 coming Dan 2007

  • Not a nibble from the Administration, which instead chose to embarrass the residents with the misbegotten site for going on eight months.

    Archive 2007-06-01 Dan 2007

  • That's just a nibble from a post full of meat (the historical context alone is well worth your mouse click.)

    On the Don't Panic beat... 2004

  • That's just a nibble from a post full of meat (the historical context alone is well worth your mouse click.)

    Archive 2004-09-01 2004

  • That's just a nibble from a post full of meat (the historical context alone is well worth your mouse click.)

    We interrupt your regularly scheduled panic attack 2004

Comments

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  • 4 bits (half a byte)

    July 28, 2008

  • See also mibble.

    October 11, 2008

  • also written as nybble

    November 20, 2008