Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English - nipped nipping

~ v 1 to bite someone or something lightly  (The dog nipped my ankles.) 2 BrE informal to go somewhere quickly or for a short time + in/down/out etc  (I'm just nipping out to the shops - I'll be back in five minutes. | Another car nipped in (=nipped into a space) in front of me.) 3 nip sth in the bud to prevent something from becoming a problem by stopping it as soon as it starts  (If you feel a cold coming on try to nip it in the bud by keeping warm and getting a lot of sleep.) 4 BrE to suddenly and accidentally press something tightly between two edges or surfaces  (He nipped his finger in the door.) nip sth off phr v to remove a small part of something, especially a plant, by pressing it tightly between your finger and thumb  (She nipped off a dead flower.) ~2 n 1 the act or result of pressing something between two edges or biting it lightly 2 a small amount of strong alcoholic drink + of  (a nip of brandy) 3 a nip in the air coldness in the air 4 nip and tuck AmE informal a) if two competitors are nip and tuck in a race or competition, they are doing equally well;  (neck and neck) neck1 (11)  (They were nip and tuck in the last lap of the race.) b) equally likely to happen or not happen  (I might just make it to the airport, but it'll be nip and tuck.)