verb

nibble

NIHBL

Nibble (verb) means to eat something by taking small, repeated bites. Example: “The rabbit nibbled quietly on a piece of lettuce.”

verb

To eat something by taking small, repeated bites.

"The rabbit nibbled quietly on a piece of lettuce."

"She nibbled at the edge of her sandwich, not very hungry."

To show mild or cautious interest in something, such as an offer or opportunity.

"A few investors are nibbling at the startup, but no one has committed yet."

noun

A small bite, or a small amount of food eaten in small bites.

"He took a nibble of the cheese before deciding he liked it."

In computing, a unit of digital information equal to half a byte (four bits).

"Each hexadecimal digit represents one nibble of data."

How to use nibble

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishTo eat or bite in small amounts, or a small bite itself; in computing, half a byte.

Common pairings

nibble on nibble away at a quick nibble

Word forms

nibbled past tense, nibble plural, nibbled plural, nibbles plural, nibbles plural, nibbles singular, nibble singular, nibbled singular, nibblest singular, nibbledst singular, nibbleth singular

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Can you complete this real example?

The rabbit _____ quietly on a piece of lettuce.

Etymology

From Late Middle English nebillen, "to peck away at something" — likely related to Low German words for eating in small bites.

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for nibble

dibble kibble quibble dribble gribble scribble

See all rhymes for nibble →

Frequently asked questions

What does “nibble” mean?

The word “nibble” means to eat something by taking small, repeated bites. In plain terms, to eat or bite in small amounts, or a small bite itself; in computing, half a byte.

How do you pronounce “nibble”?

“Nibble” is pronounced NIHBL (/ˈnɪb(ə)l/ in IPA).

How do you use “nibble” in a sentence?

Here is “nibble” used in a sentence: “The rabbit nibbled quietly on a piece of lettuce.”

What part of speech is “nibble”?

Depending on how it is used, “nibble” can be a verb and a noun.

Where does the word “nibble” come from?

The word “nibble” comes from Middle English. From Late Middle English nebillen, "to peck away at something" — likely related to Low German words for eating in small bites.

How many meanings does “nibble” have?

“Nibble” has 4 distinct senses listed in this dictionary. The most common is: to eat something by taking small, repeated bites.