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nib·ble

(nĭbəl)

v. nib·bled, nib·bling, nib·bles

v.tr.

1. To bite at gently and repeatedly.

2. To eat with small, quick bites or in small morsels: nibble a cracker.

3. To wear away or diminish bit by bit: "If you start compromising too early ... they nibble you to death" (People).

v.intr.

To take small or hesitant bites: fish nibbling at the bait.

1. A very small quantity, especially of food; a morsel.

2. The act or an instance of nibbling.

[Middle English nebyllen; akin to Low German nibbelen.]

nibbler n.

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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