noun
nipper
NIH-puh
noun
1
(informal, British) A young child.
"He's been coming to this park since he was a little nipper."
2
The pincer-like claw of a crab or lobster.
"Mind the nippers — that crab can give you quite a pinch."
How to Use Nipper
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA slang word for a small child, or the pinching claw of a crab or lobster.
When to use it
Informal and affectionate when used for children.
Word Forms
nippered past tense, nippers plural, Nippers plural, nippers singular
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Etymology
From nip + -er, "one that nips" — originally used for anything that pinches, later extended affectionately to small children.