[Elamur Dictionary](https://md.dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/) · [this page in HTML](https://dictionary.elamur.ai/free/en/english/nick/)

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# nick

verb (nick, nicks, nicked, nicking); noun (a nick, nicks)

«nick» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

1. A nick is a small cut or notch on a surface or the skin. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m1)
2. To nick something is to make a small cut in it. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m2)
3. In British, Irish, Australian and New Zealand slang, to nick means to steal. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m3)
4. "In the nick of time" means only just in time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m4)
5. "In good nick" (British slang) means in good condition. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m5)
6. "Old Nick" is an old name for the Devil. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#m6)

### In the lessons

In stories, a hero arrives "in the nick of time". In everyday British slang, "Someone nicked my bike!" means it was stolen; "the nick" can mean a police station or prison. In first aid, a small nick needs washing and a plaster.

### Examples

- I got a nick on my finger from the paper. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x1)
- Dad nicked his chin while shaving. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x2)
- Someone nicked my bike from outside the shop. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x3)
- The firefighters arrived in the nick of time. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x4)
- The old car is still in good nick. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x5)
- There's a nick in the edge of the table. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x6)
- Nick is short for Nicholas. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/#x7)

### Note

Regular verb: nicked, nicking. Slang meanings (steal, police station) are informal; do not use them in formal writing. As a name, Nick has a capital N.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «nick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/N/nick/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«nick» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/nick.html) on Mova free.