nibble

1 of 2

verb

nib·​ble ˈni-bəl 

nibbled; nibbling ˈni-b(ə-)liŋ 

transitive verb

1

a

: to bite gently

b

: to eat or chew in small bits

2

: to take away bit by bit

waves nibbling the shore

intransitive verb

1

: to take gentle, small, or cautious bites

also : snack

2

: to deal with something as if by nibbling

nibbler

ˈni-b(ə-)lər 

noun

nibble

2 of 2

noun

1

: an act of nibbling

2

: a very small quantity or portion (as of food)

also : snack

3

: a tentative expression of interest

Synonyms

Verb

• peck
• pick

Noun

• bite
• morsel
• mouthful
• nugget
• taste
• tidbit
• titbit

Examples of nibble in a Sentence

Verb

We nibbled cheese and crackers.

We nibbled on some cheese and crackers before dinner.

Noun

He felt a nibble on his fishing line.

They served some delicious nibbles before dinner.

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

During the worst encounters, Pumpkin will try to nibble on Cheesecake’s butt. —Gary Shteyngart, The New Yorker, 27 Jan. 2025

Kids would eagerly nibble around the edges, trying to preserve the shape without breaking it—a precursor to the viral dalgona game. —Stephanie Gravalese, Forbes, 20 Jan. 2025

Noun

The cleaner wrasse nibbles dead skin and parasites off the larger fish, providing the cleaner fish with food and leaving the lizardfish clean and healthy. —Cecilia Rodriguez, Forbes, 24 Jan. 2025

That's a hearty pie, and even a little nibble around the crust will yield some pretty fancy second homes for Donut execs. —New Atlas, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

origin unknown

First Known Use

Verb

15th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1a

Noun

circa 1525, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing nibble

• nibble (away) at

Kids Definition

nibble

verb

nib·​ble

ˈnib-əl

nibbled; nibbling

-(ə-)liŋ

: to bite or chew gently or bit by bit

nibble noun

nibbler

-(ə-)lər

noun