nibble: Meaning and Definition of
nib•ble
Pronunciation: (nib'ul), [key] — v., n. -bled, -bling,
—v.i. - to bite off small bits.
- to eat or chew in small bites: Give him a graham cracker to nibble on.
- to bite, eat, or chew gently and in small amounts (usually fol. by at): She was so upset she could only nibble at her food.
—v.t. - to bite off small bits of (something).
- to eat (food) by biting off small pieces.
- to bite in small bits: He nibbled each morsel with great deliberation.
- to cause to decrease or diminish bit by bit: Inflation was nibbling away at her savings. The rains nibbled at the loam.
—n. - a small morsel or bit: Each nibble was eaten with the air of an epicure.
- an act or instance of nibbling.
- a response by a fish to bait on a fishing line.
- any preliminary positive response or reaction.
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, Copyright © 1997, by Random House, Inc., on Infoplease.