- a small notch, groove, chip, or the like, cut into or existing in something.
- a hollow place produced in an edge or surface, as of a dish, by breaking, chipping, or the like: I didn't notice those tiny nicks in the vase when I bought it.
- a small dent or wound.
- a small groove on one side of the shank of a printing type, serving as a guide in setting or to distinguish different types.
- a break in one strand of a double-stranded DNA or RNA molecule.
- prison.
- to cut into or through: I nicked my chin while shaving.
- to hit or injure slightly.
- to make a nick or nicks in (something); notch, groove, or chip.
- to record by means of a notch or notches.
- to incise certain tendons at the root of (a horse's tail) to give it a higher carrying position; make an incision under the tail of (a horse).
- to hit, guess, catch, etc., exactly.
- to trick, cheat, or defraud: How much did they nick you for that suit?
- British Slang.
- to arrest (a criminal or suspect).
- to capture; nab.
- to steal: Someone nicked her pocketbook on the bus.
- at the right or vital moment, usually at the last possible moment: The fire engines arrived in the nick of time.
- a small notch or indentation on an edge or surface
- a groove on the shank of a printing type, used to orientate type and often to distinguish the fount
- British a slang word for prison, police station
- in good condition
- at the last possible moment; at the critical moment
- to chip or cut
- (tr) slang, mainly British
- to steal
- to take into legal custody; arrest
- to move or depart rapidly
- to divide and reset (certain of the tail muscles of a horse) to give the tail a high carriage
- to guess, catch, etc, exactly
- (of breeding stock) to mate satisfactorily
- to defraud someone to the extent of
- an alias adopted by a member of a chatroom or forum; nickname
