nick
nick — noun
1. a very small mark or shallow wound on the surface or edge of something, often ma
a very small mark or shallow wound on the surface or edge of something, often made by accident with a sharp object
Amira noticed a small <hl>nick</hl> on the edge of her favourite ceramic bowl after washing it.
nick on the edge of [object]
The carpenter sanded down the <hl>nick</hl> in the wooden table before applying a fresh coat of varnish.
sanded down a nick in [surface]
Noor found a tiny <hl>nick</hl> on the new phone screen and felt a bit frustrated.
There was a visible <hl>nick</hl> on the blade where it had hit a metal screw.
visible nick on a blade
- a small nick
- a tiny nick
- a visible nick
- a nick on/in [surface]
- a nick on the edge
Grammar Patterns
a nick in [surface]
Usage Note
A nick is smaller and shallower than a cut or wound. It usually does not bleed much and does not require medical attention.
Common Mistakes
2. a place where criminals are held or questioned by the police, used in informal B
a place where criminals are held or questioned by the police, used in informal British English
Otis spent three years in the <hl>nick</hl> for his part in the robbery.
in the nick (prison)
The police took the suspect down to the <hl>local nick</hl> for questioning.
local nick (police station)
Niran had been in and out of the <hl>nick</hl> since he was eighteen years old.
Darius knew that if he got caught again, he would be back in the <hl>nick</hl> within a week.
- in the nick
- the local nick
- back in the nick
- sent to the nick
Grammar Patterns
in the nick
the nick
Usage Note
Always preceded by 'the'. Not used in American English. 'Nick' as a police station is more common in older British usage; younger speakers tend to use 'the nick' primarily for prison.
Common Mistakes
3. the physical state or quality of something or someone, especially how good or ba
the physical state or quality of something or someone, especially how good or bad their health, fitness, or repair is
Despite being twenty years old, Eli's car was still in <hl>excellent nick</hl>.
in excellent nick (condition)
Gita trains every morning to keep herself in <hl>good nick</hl> for the marathon.
in good nick (fitness)
The old house was in <hl>terrible nick</hl> when Anjali bought it.
The boxer had to get his fitness into <hl>top nick</hl> before the championship fight.
top nick (peak condition)
- in good nick
- in bad nick
- in excellent nick
- in terrible nick
- in top nick
Grammar Patterns
in [adjective] nick
Usage Note
Almost always appears in the fixed pattern 'in + adjective + nick'. Common adjectives: good, bad, excellent, terrible, great, poor, top. Can describe both objects (cars, houses, machines) and living things (people, animals, plants).
Common Mistakes
in the nick of time
idiomat the exact last moment before something bad happens; just before it becomes too late to prevent something
Hoa arrived at the station <hl>in the nick of time</hl> and caught the last train home.
The firefighters arrived <hl>in the nick of time</hl> and pulled the family out before the roof collapsed.
Ayana remembered her passport <hl>in the nick of time</hl> and ran back to grab it from the table.
Used to describe the condition or state of something or someone, especially how well it is working or how healthy it is.
Maya's old bicycle is still in excellent nick after ten years.
Is your grandfather in good nick after his surgery?
nick — verb
1. to take something that belongs to someone else, especially something small or no
to take something that belongs to someone else, especially something small or not extremely valuable, without asking permission
Someone <hl>nicked</hl> Zayd's bicycle from outside the library while he was studying.
nicked [possession] from [place]
The shopkeeper caught a teenager trying to <hl>nick</hl> a chocolate bar from the shelf.
Esteban realised someone had <hl>nicked</hl> his wallet during the crowded bus ride.
had nicked [item] during [event]
Quan <hl>nicked</hl> an old coat from the lost-and-found box at school.
- nick from
- get nicked
- nick [item]
Grammar Patterns
nick [something] from [somewhere/someone]
Usage Note
Typically used for small-scale theft of low-value items. For serious crimes like stealing a car or robbing a bank, 'steal' is more appropriate in both formal and informal contexts. Often used in the passive to avoid naming the thief: 'My phone got nicked.'
Common Mistakes
2. when police catch someone they believe has committed a crime and take them into
when police catch someone they believe has committed a crime and take them into their control
The police <hl>nicked</hl> Christopher as he was trying to board a flight at the airport.
nicked [someone] + as/while [action]
Gabriel got <hl>nicked</hl> for selling fake tickets outside the concert hall.
got nicked for [crime]
Min was <hl>nicked</hl> by the traffic police for driving without a valid licence.
Officers <hl>nicked</hl> the two suspects after finding stolen goods in their car.
- get nicked
- be nicked for
- nicked by the police
- release
to let someone go, the opposite of arresting them
Grammar Patterns
nick [someone] for [crime]
get nicked
Usage Note
Frequently used in the passive construction 'get nicked' or 'be nicked'. The active subject is usually the police or a police officer. Unlike the formal 'arrest', 'nick' suggests the capture was quick or somewhat routine.
Common Mistakes
3. to charge someone a dishonest or unfair price for a service or product, especial
to charge someone a dishonest or unfair price for a service or product, especially when they are a visitor or do not know the usual price
João felt the garage had <hl>nicked</hl> him for over three hundred pounds for a simple oil change.
nicked [someone] for [amount]
Tourists often get <hl>nicked</hl> by taxi drivers who take a much longer route to the hotel.
get nicked by [someone]
Mira realised the market seller had <hl>nicked</hl> her by charging double the usual price for the spices.
Kasia was sure the hotel had <hl>nicked</hl> her for the minibar items she never touched.
- nick [someone] for
- get nicked by
- nick on the price
- overcharge
the neutral standard term without any suggestion of dishonesty
- rip off
informal in both British and American English, very common
- fleece
informal British, similar meaning but stronger sense of deception
Grammar Patterns
nick [someone] for [amount]
Usage Note
This sense is less common than the other verb senses and may sound dated to younger British speakers. The amount charged is introduced by 'for'. The victim is the direct object.
Common Mistakes
4. to create a small, shallow cut or mark on a surface or body part, usually by acc
to create a small, shallow cut or mark on a surface or body part, usually by accident with a sharp tool
Vinícius <hl>nicked</hl> his finger while chopping vegetables for the evening meal.
nicked [body part] while [activity]
Joshua accidentally <hl>nicked</hl> the new leather sofa with a pair of scissors.
nicked [object] with [tool]
Élise <hl>nicked</hl> her chin while shaving and a tiny drop of blood appeared.
The gardener <hl>nicked</hl> the blade of his favourite shovel against a hidden stone in the soil.
- nick [body part]
- nick [surface]
- nick on/with
- accidentally nick
Grammar Patterns
nick [body part/object] on/with [tool]
Usage Note
The cut is always small and superficial. Unlike 'cut', 'nick' implies the action was accidental and the damage is minor. Can be used for people (skin), objects (furniture, tools), or surfaces (walls, floors).
Common Mistakes
5. in cricket, to accidentally strike the ball with the narrow side of the bat rath
in cricket, to accidentally strike the ball with the narrow side of the bat rather than the broad flat front, often giving the fielding side a chance to catch it
Jabari <hl>nicked</hl> the ball to the wicketkeeper and was dismissed for twelve runs.
nicked the ball to [fielder]
The batsman knew he had <hl>nicked</hl> it when he felt the ball brush the side of his bat.
Nikhil <hl>nicked</hl> a fast delivery from the bowler straight to the fielder at first slip.
nicked [delivery] to [fielder at position]
Manuela <hl>nicked</hl> the ball low to the ground and the slip fielder made a fine catch.
- nick the ball
- nick to [fielder]
- nick a delivery
- edge
the standard cricket term; 'nick' and 'edge' are used interchangeably in this context
Grammar Patterns
nick the ball to [fielder]
Usage Note
This is a specialist cricket term. The word 'nick' in this sense only applies to the batting side and the contact is always accidental. When a batsman intentionally hits the ball with the edge, it is called a 'slash' or 'cut', not a 'nick'.
Common Mistakes
Word family
- nickernounC2
Synonym discussion
Sense: verb/4
All five words describe damage to a surface, but they differ in depth, shape, and intent. 'Nick' is the smallest — a shallow, accidental mark on an edge or surface, often from a sharp tool ('He nicked his chin shaving'). 'Cut' is the broadest general term, covering any opening made with a sharp edge, from a paper cut to a surgical incision. 'Scratch' is a long, thin mark on a flat surface, made by dragging something sharp across it ('The cat left a scratch on the floor'). 'Notch' is typically V-shaped and deeper, often deliberately cut into an edge ('He carved a notch in the stick to count the days'). 'Chip' is a small piece broken off a hard material such as glass, ceramic, or wood ('A chip in the mug's rim'). Use 'nick' when the damage is small, accidental, and on an edge or thin surface; use 'scratch' for long marks on flat surfaces.
Common collocations
Phrases
- in good nick
- in bad nick
- in the nick of time
- get nicked
Etymology
The word 'nick' first appeared in Middle English around the 1300s meaning 'a notch or small cut', probably coming from Old English 'gecnīc' or related to the Middle Low German 'nick' (a notch). The verb sense 'to make a small cut' followed naturally. By the 1700s, British criminal slang had stretched the meaning: first 'to steal' (from the idea of making a quick, secret cut to take something), then 'to catch or arrest' (the police 'nick' a criminal similarly). The phrase 'in the nick of time' appeared in the 1500s and originally referred to the exact moment recorded by a notched tally stick — the 'nick' was the precise mark. The British slang sense 'in good/bad nick' for condition dates from the 1800s, possibly from the idea of a coin being in good condition with its edge nicks still sharp.