name
Meaning 1
A diminutive of the male given name Nicholas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Standard Lemma guide
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
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name
A diminutive of the male given name Nicholas.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A small cut in a surface.
A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A small cut in a surface.
A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: dated
Topics: media, printing, publishing
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses connoting something small.
A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: ball-games, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses connoting something small.
One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, genetics, medicine, natural-sciences, sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Senses connoting something small.
The point where the wall of the court meets the floor.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Qualifier: real tennis
Topics: ball-games, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports, squash
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Often in the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, colloquial
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A police station or prison.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, slang
Topics: government, law-enforcement
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
Clipping of nickname.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Internet, abbreviation, alt-of, clipping
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
A nix or nixie (“water spirit”).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: archaic
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
To make ragged or uneven, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to deface, to mar.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
To make a crosscut or cuts on the underside of (the tail of a horse, in order to make the animal carry it higher).
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: rare, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: figuratively, obsolete, sometimes, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
To hit the ball with the edge of the bat and produce a fine deflection.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
Topics: ball-games, cricket, games, hobbies, lifestyle, sports
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
To throw or turn up (a number when playing dice); to hit upon.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
Topics: games, gaming
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To make a cut at the side of the face.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: transitive
Topics: business, mining
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To steal.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, colloquial, transitive
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To arrest.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: Commonwealth, Ireland, UK, slang, transitive
Topics: government, law-enforcement
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
verb
To give or call (someone) by a nickname; to style.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: obsolete, transitive
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
noun
a small cut
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: notch, snick
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut, cutting
noun
(British slang) a prison
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: prison, prison house
noun
an impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: dent, ding, gouge
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: blemish, defect, mar
Narrower terms: dig
verb
mate successfully; of livestock
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: copulate, mate, pair, couple
verb
divide or reset the tail muscles of
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: change, alter, modify
verb
cut a nick into
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Synonyms: chip
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut
verb
cut slightly, with a razor
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Synonyms: snick
Antonyms: none provided
Broader terms: cut
History
The noun is derived from Late Middle English nik (“notch, tally; nock of an arrow”). Its further etymology is unknown; a connection with nock (“notch in a bow to hold the bowstring; notch at the rear of an arrow that fits the bowstring; cleft in the buttocks”) has not been clearly established. The verb appears to be derived from the noun, though the available evidence shows that some of the verb senses predate the noun senses. No connection with words in Germanic languages such as Danish nikke (“to nod”), Middle Dutch nicken (“to bend; to bow”) (modern Dutch knikken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German nicken (“to bend over; to sink”), Middle High German nicken (“to bend; to depress”) (modern German nicken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German knicken (“to bend; to snap”) (modern German knicken (“to bend; to break”), Old Frisian hnekka (“to nod”), and Swedish nicka (“to nod”), has been clearly established.
Clipping of nickname.
A variant of nix or nixie.
Across languages
74 source translations are retained for this English entry.