nicker

1 of 3

verb

nick·​er ˈni-kər 

nickered; nickering ˈni-k(ə-)riŋ  ; nickers

intransitive verb

: neigh, whinny

… he nickers and whinnies when I show up in the morning and comes at a trot when I call him in from the pasture …

—Jane Smiley

nicker

2 of 3

noun (1)

plural nickers

: the cry of a horse : whinny, neigh

… a chorus of nickers arises from the throats of the Family Horses.

—Maxine Kumin

nicker

3 of 3

noun (2)

plural nickers

British slang

: pound entry 1 sense 2a

Synonyms

Verb

• neigh
• whicker
• whinny

Examples of nicker in a Sentence

Verb

horses nickering in the barn

Recent Examples on the Web

Verb

The soldiers muttered encouragement; their horses nickered. —Tom Vanden Brook, USA TODAY, 6 Jan. 2025

Waffles, patient and unbothered as onlookers walked around and stopped to gaze, nickered as another horse on the other side of the massive stalls whinnied. —James Hartley, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 26 Jan. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Verb

perhaps alteration of neigh

Noun (2)

perhaps from nicker one that nicks

First Known Use

Verb

circa 1617, in the meaning defined above

Noun (1)

circa 1791, in the meaning defined above

Noun (2)

1871, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

nicker

verb

nick·​er

ˈnik-ər

nickered; nickering

-(ə-)riŋ

: neigh, whinny

nicker noun