Nearby Words

nippy

[nip-ee] Origin

nip·py

[nip-ee]
adjective, -pi·er, -pi·est.
1.
chilly or cold: morning air that feels a bit nippy.
2.
sharp or biting; tangy: This cheese has a good, nippy taste.
3.
Chiefly British Informal. nimble; agile.

Origin:
1565–75; nip1 + -y1
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
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Nippy is always a great word to know.
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
a chattering or flighty, light-headed person.
a scrap or morsel of food left at a meal.
Collins
World English Dictionary
nippy (ˈnɪpɪ)
 
adj , -pier, -piest
1.  (of weather) chilly, keen, or frosty
2.  informal (Brit)
 a.  quick; nimble; active
 b.  (of a motor vehicle) small and relatively powerful
3.  (of the taste of food) biting, sharp, or pungent
4.  (of a dog) inclined to bite
 
'nippily
 
adv
 
'nippiness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

nippy
1898, in reference to a "biting" chill in the air, from nip (v.) + -y (2).
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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