nibn.¹

Brit.

/nɪb/, U.S.

/nɪb/

Forms: 1500s– nib, 1600s–1700s nibb, 1700s nip; English regional 1800s– knib (Leicestershire), 1800s– nibb; Scottish pre-1700 1700s– nib, pre-1700 1700s– nibb, pre-1700 1700s– niv (Shetland).

Origin: Apparently a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: neb n.

Etymology: Apparently a variant of neb n.; compare also forms in -i-, -y- in other Germanic languages cited at that entry.With sense 3a (and especially form knib , attested in this sense from Leicestershire) compare early modern Danish knib the handle of a scythe shaft. With senses at branch II. compare nub n.¹

I. A point, and related senses.

a. The tapered part or point of a pen (esp. a fountain pen) which touches the writing surface and distributes ink. Cf. neb n. 5b.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen

neb1574

nib1583

penpoint1805

1583 C. Hollyband Campo di Fior 22 My inke is so thicke, that..it sticketh on the nibbe of the penne, and will not fall out to writte.

1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Cocca, Cucca, the nut or nocke of a crossebowe... Also..the nib of a pen.

1611 T. Middleton & T. Dekker Roaring Girle sig. G^v Let not you and I be tost On Lawiers pens; they haue sharpe nibs.

1676 J. Moxon Regulæ Trium Ordinum 9 Its Nib strikes a Lean stroke.

1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. Nip,..the sharp Part of a Pen.

1786 S. Taylor Shorthand Writing 98 [For Short-hand] a common pen must be made with the nib much finer than for other writing..with a small cleft.

1795 J. Wolcot Convention Bill in Wks. (1812) III. 376 The pen That with its lever nib of brass Tries from his power to heave Dundas.

1865 Chambers's Encycl. VII. 368/1 Fitting small metal or even ruby points to the nib of the quill-pen.

a1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. II. 1656/2 A pen with a broad flat nib made for marking packages.

1966 V. Nabokov Speak, Memory (U.S. rev. ed.) v. 105 A new pen followed; she would moisten the nib with susurrous lips.

1992 RS Components: Electronic & Electr. Products July 119/1 The inks are a water based solution containing humectants to prevent them drying on the nib.

b. A separate pen-point intended for fitting into a penholder.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen > separate point

pen1653

nib1837

1837 N. Whittock et al. Compl. Bk. Trades 373 Steel nibs.

1840 Penny Cycl. XVII. 397/2 A few words upon the manufacture of ‘quill nibs’.

1899 Notes & Queries 13 May 365/2 Nowadays nearly all ask for ‘nibs’ when they require pens.

1977 Times 2 Dec. (Handwriting Suppl.) 11/3 You can still buy a pen nib for 5p.

1992 Artist's & Illustrator's Mag. (BNC) Nov. 11 (advt.) Sets contain an elegant, black wooden pen holder, six gold plated nibs, accessories and an introductory leaflet.

c. Either of two sections of the divided point of a pen, esp. a fountain pen. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen > each division of

nib1840

1840 Penny Cycl. XVII. 398/2 Pens made of gold with a small ruby at each nib seem to be perfect.

1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Pens have usually two nibs, but Perry's have three.

1904 N.E.D. at Pen sb.² A quill-feather..with the quill or barrel pointed and slit into two nibs at its lower end.

2. The beak or bill of a bird; the proboscis of an insect; (also) the nose of a person; the face; = neb n. 1 – 3. Now chiefly Scottish.

ΘΚΠ

the world > animals > birds > parts of or bird defined by > [noun] > beak or bill

nebeOE

billa1000

beakc1220

snoutc1380

nib1585

pecker1891

the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > face > nose > [noun]

noseeOE

naseeOE

nebeOE

billa1000

nesec1175

grunyie?a1513

gnomon1582

nib1585

proboscis1631

handle to (also of, on) one's face1675

snot-gall1685

nozzle1689

bowsprit1690

smeller1699

snitch1699

trunk1699

vessel1813

index1817

conk1819

sneezer1820

scent box1826

snorter1829

snuff-box1829

bugle1847

beak1854

nasal1854

sniffer1858

boko1859

snoot1861

snorer1891

horn1893

spectacles-seat1895

razzo1899

beezer1915

schnozzle1926

schnozzola1929

schnozz1930

snozzle1930

honker1942

hooter1958

the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > parts of insects > [noun] > head > mouth-parts or trophi > proboscis

nib1585

beak1658

promuscis1658

proboscisa1660

trunk1661

probe1664

trump1752

antlia1826

siphuncle1826

spiritrompe1831

1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 53 Rostrum, the bill, beake or nib.

1658 J. Rowland tr. T. Moffett Theater of Insects in Topsell's Hist. Four-footed Beasts (rev. ed.) 1090 Their nib is sharper, they bite more, and tickle lesse.

1676 London Gaz. No. 1076/2 Their Claws were like those of Indian Hens, Nibs crooked like Parrots.

1719 C. Johnson Masquerade 41 Here comes one who looks merrily methinks—he frisks his Feathers and cocks his Nib, like a Wren on a Park Pale.

1798 D. Crawford Poems 86 I couldna fin' as meikle [snuff] out..as pit my grainin nib in trim.

1833 J. S. Sands Poems 89 Sic a nib, and sic an e'e, Upon a beast I ne'er did see.

1896 A. Austin England's Darling iv. ii. 90 The swarthy raven, and the sallow kite, Are rawly tattering with their tawny nibs.

1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iii. 20 We'se awa an stap wir nib ootside 'e door again.

a. English regional and U.S. regional. Either of two short handles projecting laterally from the shaft of a scythe. Usually in plural.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > parts of tools generally > [noun] > handle > part of handle

nib1656

neb1677

handgrip1844

grip1886

1656 in G. F. Dow Probate Rec. Essex County, Mass. (1916) I. 202 One sith wth nibs & hoope, 3s. 6d.

1673 Coll. Rec. Plymouth (1856) V. 132 One gun, and one pair of old wheels, and one sythe & nibbs 01–00–00.

1843 M. A. Richardson Local Historian's Table Bk. (new ed.) Legendary Div. I. 213 A rest on the nibs, after sharping, was occasionally allowed [to the mower].

1887 F. T. Havergal Herefordshire Words at Nibbs That nearest the blade is called the advantage nibb, the other the straight nibb.

1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words at Scythe The handles projecting from the sned are called nibs.

1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. Nibbs, the two handles of a scythe.

1965 W. Needham & B. Mussey Bk. Country Things 25 [Vermont] Gramp first taught me to mow when I wasn't hardly big enough to hold up the scythe. I stood in front of him, and hung on to the nibs, as he called them, that is, the handgrips of the scythe.

b. English regional. The pole of an ox cart or timber carriage; = neb n. 5e.

ΘΚΠ

society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > cart, carriage, or wagon > parts of cart or carriage > [noun] > shaft(s) or pole

thillc1325

limber1480

sway1535

neap1553

draught-tree1580

wain-beam1589

beam1600

fills1609

spire1609

foreteam?1611

verge1611

shaft1613

rangy1657

pole1683

thrill1688

trill1688

rod1695

range1702

neb1710

sharp1733

tram1766

carriage pole1767

sill1787

tongue1792

nib1808

dissel-boom1822

tongue-tree1829

reach1869

wain-stang1876

1808 Beverley Lighting Act 18 If any person..shall draw any timber..through any of the aforesaid streets..without any nib or carriage.

1888 F. T. Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. (at cited word) Two very high wheels, having an arched axle between them, with the nib proper projecting at right angles to it.

a. gen. The point or tip of something; a peak, projecting part, or pointed extremity. Cf. neb n. 5a.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > shape > fact or condition of tapering > condition of tapering to a point > [noun] > a point

pointc1300

neb?a1425

peakc1450

peck1481

cag1604

sharp1633

acuminate1640

cuspis1646

cusp1647

acumination1651

nib1713

spit-point1796

the world > space > shape > unevenness > projection or prominence > sharp unevenness > [noun] > a sharp prominence

bill1382

pointa1387

tatter1402

beakc1440

spike1488

neb1578

prong1591

prow1601

taggera1687

tang1688

jog1715

nib1788

tusk1823

spur1872

1713 W. Derham Physico-theol. x. i. 462 Travellers cut the nib off it, and presently a spout of Water runs out from it, as clear as Crystal.

1788 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 79 4 Its inside surface is made to agree with that of the horizon by means of a small thin nib of brass.

1826 in W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1827) II. 691 The nib of a jockey's cap.

1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Nib,..4. The point of a crow-bar.

1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Nib,..2. (Locksmithing) A separate adjustable limb of a permutation key.

1955 Railway Mag. May 307/2 The main feature of the detachable nibs in the relay baseboards is that disconnection points are available without the necessity of providing independent terminal boards for each relay.

1962 Gloss. Terms Glass Industry (B.S.I.) 43 Nib, a small protrusion at the corner of a piece of flat glass due to faulty cutting.

1988 C. H. Collins Laboratory-acquired Infections (ed. 2) v. 98 Vented petri dishes, which have nibs, so that the lid touches the rim at only three places.

†b. spec. The embryo or radicle of a seed. Cf. neb n. 5c. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > plants > part of plant > reproductive part(s) > seed > [noun] > parts of > embryo or radicle

embryon1640

germen1651

neb1658

radicle1671

embryo1682

embryo plant1692

plantula1698

plantleta1711

germ1721

niba1722

radicula1725

plantule1727

radicule1728

rostellum1760

radicale1763

rostel1783

heartlet1808

corcle1810

proembryo1849

tigelle1860

hypophysis1875

embryoid1963

a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husbandry (1752) 115 The outward part of the nib..sends forth the root.

c. Chiefly Building. A small projection on the underside of a roofing tile.

ΚΠ

1901 J. Black Illustr. Carpenter & Builder Ser.: Slating & Tiling 13 The ordinary pantile..is provided on the underside with a small projection known as a nib.

1944 J. Millar in R. Greenhalgh Pract. Builder iv. 177/1 Two nibs are formed on the underside at the top for hanging to the battens.

1992 Do it Yourself (BNC) Dec. 59 If the tile..is undamaged (that is, it still has its hanging ‘nibs’ on the back), you should be able to slide it back into place.

5. regional (chiefly Scottish). A nip, prod, or pinch. Now rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > pressing, pressure, or squeezing > [noun] > nipping or pinching > a nip or pinch

nip1551

nipe1572

nib1874

1874 Border Treasury 21 Nov. 210 She gave it a nib with her thumb-nail.

1896 J. Lumsden Battle of Dunbar & Prestonpans 13 The younkers o' the stud meanwhile Mischievously the hours beguile, And tak slee nibs at neibor's necks.

1909 Dial. Notes 9 329 [Alabama, Georgia] I got a nib, but he wouldn't bite good.

II. A lump, and related senses.

a. A small lump or knot in wool or raw silk.

ΘΚΠ

the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > [noun] > imperfection in

fag1463

nib1771

mote1842

1771 B. Franklin Let. 4 July in Papers (1974) XVIII. 160 He gave me a Skain of what he called the best Italian Silk..for our People to endeavour to imitate, with regard to its Evenness, Cleanness from Nibs and Lustre.

1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 378/2 Large quantities of this noil are exported to the Continent, where the..machinery is better adapted to card and open out the small nibs which it contains.

1999 Y.-W. Lee Silk Reeling Man. (United Nations F.A.O.) ii. 6 A series of minor defects may be found in cocoon filament such as loops, split-ends, fuzziness, nibs and hairiness.

b. regional. A projecting lump or knob. Now Shetland. Sc. National Dict. (1965) records as in use in Shetland in 1964.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > shape > unevenness > projection or prominence > protuberance or rounded projection > [noun] > a protuberance or protuberant part > a hump or lump

bulchc1300

lump?a1500

hillock?1527

bump1533

hulch1611

hump1709

hunch1803

mump1847

nib1847

wodge1847

hummock1864

1847 Jrnl. Agric. July 34 Clays..which are full of nibs of hard clay.

1887 T. Darlington Folk-speech S. Cheshire 272 Nib, projecting piece in a piece of wood.

7. Chiefly Scottish and English regional. More generally: a piece or amount (of anything).

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > [noun] > a separate part > a piece or bit

stitchc825

piecec1230

nookc1300

crotc1330

gobbetc1330

batc1340

lipe1377

gobbona1387

bladc1527

goblet1530

slice1548

limb1577

speild1653

swatch1697

frustum1721

nib1877

1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness Nibs an nabs.., bit by bit; by piece-meal; desultorily.

1892 S. Hewett Peasant Speech Devon 106 I dawnt want no big nibs [of coal], cuz I wants a güde yett tü cuke theäse ulking gert piece of mayte wi'.

1956 V. E. Yarsley & E. G. Couzens Plastics in Service of Man 128 The plastic is fed in the form of ‘nibs’ of regular size from a suitable hopper.

8. In plural. Fragments of shelled cocoa or coffee beans, obtained by crushing or coarse chopping. Cf. earlier cocoa nib n. at cocoa n. and adj. Compounds 3, coffee-nib n. at coffee n. Compounds 2.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > pods, seeds, leaves, or flowers > [noun] > cocoa-bean > small pieces when crushed

nibs1878

1878 Encycl. Brit. VI. 102/1 The seeds are reduced to the form of nibs, which are separated from the shells or husks by the action of a powerful fan blast.

1973 C. A. Wilson Food & Drink in Brit. x. 409 The cocoa beans or nibs themselves were now often dried and sent whole to England and other European countries.

1995 Fine Cooking Feb.–Mar. 42/2 The blended nibs are simultaneously ground and heated to melt their natural cocoa butter, which turns the entire mass to a liquid.

9. A speck of extraneous matter in a coat of paint or varnish.

ΘΚΠ

society > occupation and work > industry > decorating and painting > [noun] > painting > flaws in paintwork

cissing1877

flaking1904

run1921

teardrop1922

nib1940

1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 578/1 Nibs, specks of solid matter in varnish.

1958 Listener 11 Sept. 399/1 You can now tidy it [sc. the undercoat of paint] up with fine sandpaper—just enough to remove any dust nibs or brush marks.

1965 W. N. Lapper in Applic. Surface Coatings (Oil & Colour Chemists' Assoc.) iii. 37 A coagulation of pigment can cause ‘nibs’ or bittiness in the film.

1968 Pract. Motorist Feb. 611/3 Once the first coat is fully dry rub it down very gently with wet-or-dry (grade 320) to remove any ‘nibs’ and runs.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

† nibn.²

Origin: Of unknown origin.

Etymology: Origin unknown.

Obsolete.

A novice, a freshman; (spec. in King's College, Cambridge) a junior scholar.

ΘΚΠ

society > education > learning > learner > college or university student > [noun] > first-year student

puny1548

freshman1583

puisne1592

freshwomana1627

bejan1642

nib1655

jib1827

greeny1834

fox1839

freshie1845

rat1850

buttery Benjie1854

pennal1854

yellow-beak1865

fresher1875

yellow-neb1879

yearling1908

frosh1915

1655 W. Gouge & T. Gouge Learned Comm. Hebrewes (v. 14) i. 522 They who..grow not..in knowledge, may well be accounted babes, or young novices, or fresh-men (as they say in Schools) or nibs, or pages.

c1790 MS Scholar's Bk. (King's Coll., Cambr.) in M. R. James Eton & King's (1926) xi. 103 The junior or Nib of each chamber must keep the door shut all canon hours on his peril.

1886 R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. III. 304 In King's College, Cambridge,..every new scholar being, on his arrival, looked after by an older one (his ‘chum’), who was responsible for his ‘nib's’ strict observance of all college discipline.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2018).

nibn.³

Brit.

/nɪb/, U.S.

/nɪb/

Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymons: nib n.², nob n.²

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps an extended use of nib n.², or perhaps a variant of nob n.² Compare earlier nabs n. and slightly later nibs n.

slang (originally and chiefly British).

A person of superior social standing or wealth; (also) a person proficient in a particular activity, an expert.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > [noun] > good person > male

nib1819

a broth of a boy1823

regular guy1912

white hat1965

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [noun] > gentleman

idleman1331

gentleman1509

gent1535

gemmanc1550

gentmana1556

signor1583

gentilhomme1749

nib1819

gentry cove1837

1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. 191 Nib, a gentleman or person of the higher order.

1834 W. H. Ainsworth Rookwood II. iii. v. 319 He's a rank nib.

1936 P. G. Wodehouse Laughing Gas viii. 81 You don't run to an English butler in Hollywood unless you are a pretty prominent nib.

1948 W. Fortescue Beauty for Ashes vii. 48 Another father shyly told me that he was considered a bit of a nib at gardening.

1977 Listener (N.Z.) 15 Jan. 28/4 Naturally enough any self-confessed ‘egalitarian’ society will have as its national pastime the knocking of nibs or nobby persons.

Derivatives

† niblike adj. and adv. Obsolete rare

ΘΚΠ

society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective]

gentle?c1225

gentc1300

gentlemanlya1450

gentlemanlike1565

genteel1628

genty1660

gentee1664

gentlemany1728

niblike1834

nibsome1839

upstairs1942

1834 W. H. Ainsworth Rookwood II. iii. v. 346 All my togs were so niblike and splash.

1845 G. W. M. Reynolds Myst. London I. xxiii. 60/1 O was an Onion, possessed by a swell; P was a Pannie, done niblike and well.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

nibv.¹

Brit.

/nɪb/, U.S.

/nɪb/

Forms: 1500s knib, 1500s nyb, 1500s– nib.

Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: nib n.¹

Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps < nib n.¹ (although this is first attested slightly later). Compare earlier nibble v.With sense 4 compare earlier nibbing-cull n.; it is unclear whether this sense belongs here, or rather represents a different word (perhaps a variant of nab v.²).

Now English regional.

†1. transitive. To peck, pick at, or prick. Also figurative. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > making holes or becoming holed > make (an opening or hole) [verb (transitive)] > make an opening or hole in or into > bore, pierce, or perforate > with something sharp-pointed > prick

prickOE

pointa1425

joba1500

birlc1540

punct1548

nib1558

pounce1570

punge1570

stab1570

reprick1611

jaga1700

barb1803

jab1825

rowel1891

pinprick1909

1558 W. Forrest Hist. Grisild the Second (1875) 81 Theye nybbed Christes faithe after their pleasure.

1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 360 Yee shall discerne the Crampgout by your Hawkes holding of hir one foote Vpon the other, and by hir often knibbing and iobbing of hir foote with hir beake.

1600 J. Weever Faunus & Melliflora sig. E2 Doues by turnes be either other nibbing, And louingly in blither words be snibbing.

1648 T. Hill Olive Branch 20 Conscience nibs thee, follows and dogs thee from place to place.

2. intransitive. To nibble. Also transitive. Now English regional.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > processes or manners of eating > eat via specific process [verb (intransitive)] > nibble or gnaw

gnawa1382

bitec1386

knabble1580

nibble1582

nib1585

knapple1611

nab1630

moup1710

chumble1821

naggle1824

peck1824

1585 J. Sharrock tr. C. Ockland Valiant Actes Eng. Nation i. sig. B1 Sheepe in brode fieldes floct, goe greene grasse nibbing here, and there.

a1609 J. Dennys Secrets of Angling (1613) i. xiv. sig. B3 When the Fish begins to nib and byte.

1720 Humourist 183 I had kept the Neat's Tongue..and every now and then I nibb'd a Bit on't.

1876 C. C. Robinson Gloss. Words Dial. Mid-Yorks. 91/1 Nib, to nibble.

1888 Cornhill Mag. Nov. 530 You has to let 'em [sc. geese] nib by the road.

1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. (at cited word) Yon cat's allust nibbin' at itsen. 'As it got lops?

†3. intransitive. To pick or pluck, in order to loosen. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or detachment > loosening or unfastening > loosen, unfasten, or untie [verb (transitive)] > untie > untie (a knot) > pick in order to undo

nib1659

1659 C. Noble Inexpediency of Exped. 15 That makes their fingers so busie, and to nib so about the Knot that ties up and is the very Bond of our Peace.

†4. transitive. slang. To nab, to catch. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > possession > taking > seizing > catching or capture > catch or capture [verb (transitive)]

i-lecchec1000

fang1016

hentOE

takeOE

alatchlOE

catchc1275

wina1300

to take ina1387

attain1393

geta1400

overhent?a1400

restay?a1400

seizea1400

tachec1400

arrest1481

carrya1500

collara1535

snap1568

overgo1581

surprise1592

nibble1608

incaptivate1611

nicka1640

cop1704

chop1726

nail1735

to give a person the foot1767

capture1796

hooka1800

sniba1801

net1803

nib1819

prehend1831

corral1860

rope1877

1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. 191 Nibb'd, taken in custody.

1870 J. P. Robson Evangeline 357 Up stackered Larty for a blaw, Fair on Ham's jug'lar nibb'd him.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

nibv.²

Brit.

/nɪb/, U.S.

/nɪb/

Forms: 1700s– nib, 1800s knib.

Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: nib n.¹

Etymology: < nib n.¹With sense 1 compare later neb v. 3.

1. transitive. To provide (a pen) with a nib or point; to mend or sharpen the nib of (a quill pen).

ΘΚΠ

society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [verb (transitive)] > adapt point of pen for writing

nib1752

mend1820

neb1880

1752 E. Synge Let. 14 Aug. (1996) 455 You make your own pens, you say. Nib them a little broader.

1766 R. Griffith & E. Griffith Lett. Henry & Frances IV. 28 Come, spread your Paper, sharpen your Wit, nib your Pen, and away with it.

1795 J. Cobb Cherokee i. 66 I'll never nib another pen.

1822 W. M. Praed Lillian in Poems (1866) I. 73 I drink my coffee and nib my quill.

1865 G. M. Craik Winifred's Wooing (1879) 85 [He] was..mending a pen for himself, and nibbing it with critical exactness.

1939 Daily Tel. 18 Dec. 4/1 (advt.) The only fountain pen that is nibbed with this easy-writing ‘Relief’ nib.

†2. transitive. figurative. To make sharper or more incisive. Obsolete.

ΚΠ

1850 J. Hamilton Mem. Lady Colquhoun iv. 134 It would be easy for an ordinary critic to..nib into a sharper paradox the pungent aphorism.

1885 G. Meredith Diana of Crossways I. i. 17 The sentence wants more working to line the thought; or, if you will, the thought to nib expression.

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

n.¹1583

n.²1655

n.³1819

v.¹1558

v.²1752

单词	nib
释义	nibn.¹ Brit. /nɪb/, U.S. /nɪb/ Forms: 1500s– nib, 1600s–1700s nibb, 1700s nip; English regional 1800s– knib (Leicestershire), 1800s– nibb; Scottish pre-1700 1700s– nib, pre-1700 1700s– nibb, pre-1700 1700s– niv (Shetland). Origin: Apparently a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymon: neb n. Etymology: Apparently a variant of neb n.; compare also forms in -i-, -y- in other Germanic languages cited at that entry.With sense 3a (and especially form knib , attested in this sense from Leicestershire) compare early modern Danish knib the handle of a scythe shaft. With senses at branch II. compare nub n.¹ I. A point, and related senses. 1. a. The tapered part or point of a pen (esp. a fountain pen) which touches the writing surface and distributes ink. Cf. neb n. 5b. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen neb1574 nib1583 penpoint1805 1583 C. Hollyband Campo di Fior 22 My inke is so thicke, that..it sticketh on the nibbe of the penne, and will not fall out to writte. 1598 J. Florio Worlde of Wordes Cocca, Cucca, the nut or nocke of a crossebowe... Also..the nib of a pen. 1611 T. Middleton & T. Dekker Roaring Girle sig. G^v Let not you and I be tost On Lawiers pens; they haue sharpe nibs. 1676 J. Moxon Regulæ Trium Ordinum 9 Its Nib strikes a Lean stroke. 1721 N. Bailey Universal Etymol. Eng. Dict. Nip,..the sharp Part of a Pen. 1786 S. Taylor Shorthand Writing 98 [For Short-hand] a common pen must be made with the nib much finer than for other writing..with a small cleft. 1795 J. Wolcot Convention Bill in Wks. (1812) III. 376 The pen That with its lever nib of brass Tries from his power to heave Dundas. 1865 Chambers's Encycl. VII. 368/1 Fitting small metal or even ruby points to the nib of the quill-pen. a1877 E. H. Knight Pract. Dict. Mech. II. 1656/2 A pen with a broad flat nib made for marking packages. 1966 V. Nabokov Speak, Memory (U.S. rev. ed.) v. 105 A new pen followed; she would moisten the nib with susurrous lips. 1992 RS Components: Electronic & Electr. Products July 119/1 The inks are a water based solution containing humectants to prevent them drying on the nib. b. A separate pen-point intended for fitting into a penholder. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen > separate point pen1653 nib1837 1837 N. Whittock et al. Compl. Bk. Trades 373 Steel nibs. 1840 Penny Cycl. XVII. 397/2 A few words upon the manufacture of ‘quill nibs’. 1899 Notes & Queries 13 May 365/2 Nowadays nearly all ask for ‘nibs’ when they require pens. 1977 Times 2 Dec. (Handwriting Suppl.) 11/3 You can still buy a pen nib for 5p. 1992 Artist's & Illustrator's Mag. (BNC) Nov. 11 (advt.) Sets contain an elegant, black wooden pen holder, six gold plated nibs, accessories and an introductory leaflet. c. Either of two sections of the divided point of a pen, esp. a fountain pen. Now rare. ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [noun] > pen > point of pen > each division of nib1840 1840 Penny Cycl. XVII. 398/2 Pens made of gold with a small ruby at each nib seem to be perfect. 1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Pens have usually two nibs, but Perry's have three. 1904 N.E.D. at Pen sb.² A quill-feather..with the quill or barrel pointed and slit into two nibs at its lower end. 2. The beak or bill of a bird; the proboscis of an insect; (also) the nose of a person; the face; = neb n. 1 – 3. Now chiefly Scottish. ΘΚΠ the world > animals > birds > parts of or bird defined by > [noun] > beak or bill nebeOE billa1000 beakc1220 snoutc1380 nib1585 pecker1891 the world > life > the body > external parts of body > head > face > nose > [noun] noseeOE naseeOE nebeOE billa1000 nesec1175 grunyie?a1513 gnomon1582 nib1585 proboscis1631 handle to (also of, on) one's face1675 snot-gall1685 nozzle1689 bowsprit1690 smeller1699 snitch1699 trunk1699 vessel1813 index1817 conk1819 sneezer1820 scent box1826 snorter1829 snuff-box1829 bugle1847 beak1854 nasal1854 sniffer1858 boko1859 snoot1861 snorer1891 horn1893 spectacles-seat1895 razzo1899 beezer1915 schnozzle1926 schnozzola1929 schnozz1930 snozzle1930 honker1942 hooter1958 the world > animals > invertebrates > phylum Arthropoda > class Insecta > parts of insects > [noun] > head > mouth-parts or trophi > proboscis nib1585 beak1658 promuscis1658 proboscisa1660 trunk1661 probe1664 trump1752 antlia1826 siphuncle1826 spiritrompe1831 1585 J. Higgins tr. Junius Nomenclator 53 Rostrum, the bill, beake or nib. 1658 J. Rowland tr. T. Moffett Theater of Insects in Topsell's Hist. Four-footed Beasts (rev. ed.) 1090 Their nib is sharper, they bite more, and tickle lesse. 1676 London Gaz. No. 1076/2 Their Claws were like those of Indian Hens, Nibs crooked like Parrots. 1719 C. Johnson Masquerade 41 Here comes one who looks merrily methinks—he frisks his Feathers and cocks his Nib, like a Wren on a Park Pale. 1798 D. Crawford Poems 86 I couldna fin' as meikle [snuff] out..as pit my grainin nib in trim. 1833 J. S. Sands Poems 89 Sic a nib, and sic an e'e, Upon a beast I ne'er did see. 1896 A. Austin England's Darling iv. ii. 90 The swarthy raven, and the sallow kite, Are rawly tattering with their tawny nibs. 1955 W. P. Milne Eppie Elrick iii. 20 We'se awa an stap wir nib ootside 'e door again. 3. a. English regional and U.S. regional. Either of two short handles projecting laterally from the shaft of a scythe. Usually in plural. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > equipment > tool > parts of tools generally > [noun] > handle > part of handle nib1656 neb1677 handgrip1844 grip1886 1656 in G. F. Dow Probate Rec. Essex County, Mass. (1916) I. 202 One sith wth nibs & hoope, 3s. 6d. 1673 Coll. Rec. Plymouth (1856) V. 132 One gun, and one pair of old wheels, and one sythe & nibbs 01–00–00. 1843 M. A. Richardson Local Historian's Table Bk. (new ed.) Legendary Div. I. 213 A rest on the nibs, after sharping, was occasionally allowed [to the mower]. 1887 F. T. Havergal Herefordshire Words at Nibbs That nearest the blade is called the advantage nibb, the other the straight nibb. 1894 R. O. Heslop Northumberland Words at Scythe The handles projecting from the sned are called nibs. 1928 A. E. Pease Dict. Dial. N. Riding Yorks. Nibbs, the two handles of a scythe. 1965 W. Needham & B. Mussey Bk. Country Things 25 [Vermont] Gramp first taught me to mow when I wasn't hardly big enough to hold up the scythe. I stood in front of him, and hung on to the nibs, as he called them, that is, the handgrips of the scythe. b. English regional. The pole of an ox cart or timber carriage; = neb n. 5e. ΘΚΠ society > travel > means of travel > a conveyance > vehicle > cart, carriage, or wagon > parts of cart or carriage > [noun] > shaft(s) or pole thillc1325 limber1480 sway1535 neap1553 draught-tree1580 wain-beam1589 beam1600 fills1609 spire1609 foreteam?1611 verge1611 shaft1613 rangy1657 pole1683 thrill1688 trill1688 rod1695 range1702 neb1710 sharp1733 tram1766 carriage pole1767 sill1787 tongue1792 nib1808 dissel-boom1822 tongue-tree1829 reach1869 wain-stang1876 1808 Beverley Lighting Act 18 If any person..shall draw any timber..through any of the aforesaid streets..without any nib or carriage. 1888 F. T. Elworthy W. Somerset Word-bk. (at cited word) Two very high wheels, having an arched axle between them, with the nib proper projecting at right angles to it. 4. a. gen. The point or tip of something; a peak, projecting part, or pointed extremity. Cf. neb n. 5a. ΘΚΠ the world > space > shape > fact or condition of tapering > condition of tapering to a point > [noun] > a point pointc1300 neb?a1425 peakc1450 peck1481 cag1604 sharp1633 acuminate1640 cuspis1646 cusp1647 acumination1651 nib1713 spit-point1796 the world > space > shape > unevenness > projection or prominence > sharp unevenness > [noun] > a sharp prominence bill1382 pointa1387 tatter1402 beakc1440 spike1488 neb1578 prong1591 prow1601 taggera1687 tang1688 jog1715 nib1788 tusk1823 spur1872 1713 W. Derham Physico-theol. x. i. 462 Travellers cut the nib off it, and presently a spout of Water runs out from it, as clear as Crystal. 1788 Philos. Trans. (Royal Soc.) 79 4 Its inside surface is made to agree with that of the horizon by means of a small thin nib of brass. 1826 in W. Hone Every-day Bk. (1827) II. 691 The nib of a jockey's cap. 1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Nib,..4. The point of a crow-bar. 1875 E. H. Knight Amer. Mech. Dict. II. 1525/1 Nib,..2. (Locksmithing) A separate adjustable limb of a permutation key. 1955 Railway Mag. May 307/2 The main feature of the detachable nibs in the relay baseboards is that disconnection points are available without the necessity of providing independent terminal boards for each relay. 1962 Gloss. Terms Glass Industry (B.S.I.) 43 Nib, a small protrusion at the corner of a piece of flat glass due to faulty cutting. 1988 C. H. Collins Laboratory-acquired Infections (ed. 2) v. 98 Vented petri dishes, which have nibs, so that the lid touches the rim at only three places. †b. spec. The embryo or radicle of a seed. Cf. neb n. 5c. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > plants > part of plant > reproductive part(s) > seed > [noun] > parts of > embryo or radicle embryon1640 germen1651 neb1658 radicle1671 embryo1682 embryo plant1692 plantula1698 plantleta1711 germ1721 niba1722 radicula1725 plantule1727 radicule1728 rostellum1760 radicale1763 rostel1783 heartlet1808 corcle1810 proembryo1849 tigelle1860 hypophysis1875 embryoid1963 a1722 E. Lisle Observ. Husbandry (1752) 115 The outward part of the nib..sends forth the root. c. Chiefly Building. A small projection on the underside of a roofing tile. ΚΠ 1901 J. Black Illustr. Carpenter & Builder Ser.: Slating & Tiling 13 The ordinary pantile..is provided on the underside with a small projection known as a nib. 1944 J. Millar in R. Greenhalgh Pract. Builder iv. 177/1 Two nibs are formed on the underside at the top for hanging to the battens. 1992 Do it Yourself (BNC) Dec. 59 If the tile..is undamaged (that is, it still has its hanging ‘nibs’ on the back), you should be able to slide it back into place. 5. regional (chiefly Scottish). A nip, prod, or pinch. Now rare. ΘΚΠ the world > existence and causation > creation > destruction > pressing, pressure, or squeezing > [noun] > nipping or pinching > a nip or pinch nip1551 nipe1572 nib1874 1874 Border Treasury 21 Nov. 210 She gave it a nib with her thumb-nail. 1896 J. Lumsden Battle of Dunbar & Prestonpans 13 The younkers o' the stud meanwhile Mischievously the hours beguile, And tak slee nibs at neibor's necks. 1909 Dial. Notes 9 329 [Alabama, Georgia] I got a nib, but he wouldn't bite good. II. A lump, and related senses. 6. a. A small lump or knot in wool or raw silk. ΘΚΠ the world > textiles and clothing > textiles > [noun] > imperfection in fag1463 nib1771 mote1842 1771 B. Franklin Let. 4 July in Papers (1974) XVIII. 160 He gave me a Skain of what he called the best Italian Silk..for our People to endeavour to imitate, with regard to its Evenness, Cleanness from Nibs and Lustre. 1879 Cassell's Techn. Educator (new ed.) IV. 378/2 Large quantities of this noil are exported to the Continent, where the..machinery is better adapted to card and open out the small nibs which it contains. 1999 Y.-W. Lee Silk Reeling Man. (United Nations F.A.O.) ii. 6 A series of minor defects may be found in cocoon filament such as loops, split-ends, fuzziness, nibs and hairiness. b. regional. A projecting lump or knob. Now Shetland. Sc. National Dict. (1965) records as in use in Shetland in 1964. ΘΚΠ the world > space > shape > unevenness > projection or prominence > protuberance or rounded projection > [noun] > a protuberance or protuberant part > a hump or lump bulchc1300 lump?a1500 hillock?1527 bump1533 hulch1611 hump1709 hunch1803 mump1847 nib1847 wodge1847 hummock1864 1847 Jrnl. Agric. July 34 Clays..which are full of nibs of hard clay. 1887 T. Darlington Folk-speech S. Cheshire 272 Nib, projecting piece in a piece of wood. 7. Chiefly Scottish and English regional. More generally: a piece or amount (of anything). ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > incompleteness > part of whole > [noun] > a separate part > a piece or bit stitchc825 piecec1230 nookc1300 crotc1330 gobbetc1330 batc1340 lipe1377 gobbona1387 bladc1527 goblet1530 slice1548 limb1577 speild1653 swatch1697 frustum1721 nib1877 1877 F. Ross et al. Gloss. Words Holderness Nibs an nabs.., bit by bit; by piece-meal; desultorily. 1892 S. Hewett Peasant Speech Devon 106 I dawnt want no big nibs [of coal], cuz I wants a güde yett tü cuke theäse ulking gert piece of mayte wi'. 1956 V. E. Yarsley & E. G. Couzens Plastics in Service of Man 128 The plastic is fed in the form of ‘nibs’ of regular size from a suitable hopper. 8. In plural. Fragments of shelled cocoa or coffee beans, obtained by crushing or coarse chopping. Cf. earlier cocoa nib n. at cocoa n. and adj. Compounds 3, coffee-nib n. at coffee n. Compounds 2. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > fruit and vegetables > pods, seeds, leaves, or flowers > [noun] > cocoa-bean > small pieces when crushed nibs1878 1878 Encycl. Brit. VI. 102/1 The seeds are reduced to the form of nibs, which are separated from the shells or husks by the action of a powerful fan blast. 1973 C. A. Wilson Food & Drink in Brit. x. 409 The cocoa beans or nibs themselves were now often dried and sent whole to England and other European countries. 1995 Fine Cooking Feb.–Mar. 42/2 The blended nibs are simultaneously ground and heated to melt their natural cocoa butter, which turns the entire mass to a liquid. 9. A speck of extraneous matter in a coat of paint or varnish. ΘΚΠ society > occupation and work > industry > decorating and painting > [noun] > painting > flaws in paintwork cissing1877 flaking1904 run1921 teardrop1922 nib1940 1940 Chambers's Techn. Dict. 578/1 Nibs, specks of solid matter in varnish. 1958 Listener 11 Sept. 399/1 You can now tidy it [sc. the undercoat of paint] up with fine sandpaper—just enough to remove any dust nibs or brush marks. 1965 W. N. Lapper in Applic. Surface Coatings (Oil & Colour Chemists' Assoc.) iii. 37 A coagulation of pigment can cause ‘nibs’ or bittiness in the film. 1968 Pract. Motorist Feb. 611/3 Once the first coat is fully dry rub it down very gently with wet-or-dry (grade 320) to remove any ‘nibs’ and runs. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). † nibn.² Origin: Of unknown origin. Etymology: Origin unknown. Obsolete. A novice, a freshman; (spec. in King's College, Cambridge) a junior scholar. ΘΚΠ society > education > learning > learner > college or university student > [noun] > first-year student puny1548 freshman1583 puisne1592 freshwomana1627 bejan1642 nib1655 jib1827 greeny1834 fox1839 freshie1845 rat1850 buttery Benjie1854 pennal1854 yellow-beak1865 fresher1875 yellow-neb1879 yearling1908 frosh1915 1655 W. Gouge & T. Gouge Learned Comm. Hebrewes (v. 14) i. 522 They who..grow not..in knowledge, may well be accounted babes, or young novices, or fresh-men (as they say in Schools) or nibs, or pages. c1790 MS Scholar's Bk. (King's Coll., Cambr.) in M. R. James Eton & King's (1926) xi. 103 The junior or Nib of each chamber must keep the door shut all canon hours on his peril. 1886 R. Willis & J. W. Clark Archit. Hist. Univ. Cambr. III. 304 In King's College, Cambridge,..every new scholar being, on his arrival, looked after by an older one (his ‘chum’), who was responsible for his ‘nib's’ strict observance of all college discipline. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online June 2018). nibn.³ Brit. /nɪb/, U.S. /nɪb/ Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps a variant or alteration of another lexical item. Etymons: nib n.², nob n.² Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps an extended use of nib n.², or perhaps a variant of nob n.² Compare earlier nabs n. and slightly later nibs n. slang (originally and chiefly British). A person of superior social standing or wealth; (also) a person proficient in a particular activity, an expert. ΘΚΠ the mind > goodness and badness > quality of being good > [noun] > good person > male nib1819 a broth of a boy1823 regular guy1912 white hat1965 society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [noun] > gentleman idleman1331 gentleman1509 gent1535 gemmanc1550 gentmana1556 signor1583 gentilhomme1749 nib1819 gentry cove1837 1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. 191 Nib, a gentleman or person of the higher order. 1834 W. H. Ainsworth Rookwood II. iii. v. 319 He's a rank nib. 1936 P. G. Wodehouse Laughing Gas viii. 81 You don't run to an English butler in Hollywood unless you are a pretty prominent nib. 1948 W. Fortescue Beauty for Ashes vii. 48 Another father shyly told me that he was considered a bit of a nib at gardening. 1977 Listener (N.Z.) 15 Jan. 28/4 Naturally enough any self-confessed ‘egalitarian’ society will have as its national pastime the knocking of nibs or nobby persons. Derivatives † niblike adj. and adv. Obsolete rare ΘΚΠ society > society and the community > social class > nobility > aristocracy or upper class > gentry > [adjective] gentle?c1225 gentc1300 gentlemanlya1450 gentlemanlike1565 genteel1628 genty1660 gentee1664 gentlemany1728 niblike1834 nibsome1839 upstairs1942 1834 W. H. Ainsworth Rookwood II. iii. v. 346 All my togs were so niblike and splash. 1845 G. W. M. Reynolds Myst. London I. xxiii. 60/1 O was an Onion, possessed by a swell; P was a Pannie, done niblike and well. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). nibv.¹ Brit. /nɪb/, U.S. /nɪb/ Forms: 1500s knib, 1500s nyb, 1500s– nib. Origin: Of uncertain origin. Perhaps formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: nib n.¹ Etymology: Origin uncertain; perhaps < nib n.¹ (although this is first attested slightly later). Compare earlier nibble v.With sense 4 compare earlier nibbing-cull n.; it is unclear whether this sense belongs here, or rather represents a different word (perhaps a variant of nab v.²). Now English regional. †1. transitive. To peck, pick at, or prick. Also figurative. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > space > relative position > condition of being open or not closed > making holes or becoming holed > make (an opening or hole) [verb (transitive)] > make an opening or hole in or into > bore, pierce, or perforate > with something sharp-pointed > prick prickOE pointa1425 joba1500 birlc1540 punct1548 nib1558 pounce1570 punge1570 stab1570 reprick1611 jaga1700 barb1803 jab1825 rowel1891 pinprick1909 1558 W. Forrest Hist. Grisild the Second (1875) 81 Theye nybbed Christes faithe after their pleasure. 1575 G. Turberville Bk. Faulconrie 360 Yee shall discerne the Crampgout by your Hawkes holding of hir one foote Vpon the other, and by hir often knibbing and iobbing of hir foote with hir beake. 1600 J. Weever Faunus & Melliflora sig. E2 Doues by turnes be either other nibbing, And louingly in blither words be snibbing. 1648 T. Hill Olive Branch 20 Conscience nibs thee, follows and dogs thee from place to place. 2. intransitive. To nibble. Also transitive. Now English regional. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > food > consumption of food or drink > eating > processes or manners of eating > eat via specific process [verb (intransitive)] > nibble or gnaw gnawa1382 bitec1386 knabble1580 nibble1582 nib1585 knapple1611 nab1630 moup1710 chumble1821 naggle1824 peck1824 1585 J. Sharrock tr. C. Ockland Valiant Actes Eng. Nation i. sig. B1 Sheepe in brode fieldes floct, goe greene grasse nibbing here, and there. a1609 J. Dennys Secrets of Angling (1613) i. xiv. sig. B3 When the Fish begins to nib and byte. 1720 Humourist 183 I had kept the Neat's Tongue..and every now and then I nibb'd a Bit on't. 1876 C. C. Robinson Gloss. Words Dial. Mid-Yorks. 91/1 Nib, to nibble. 1888 Cornhill Mag. Nov. 530 You has to let 'em [sc. geese] nib by the road. 1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey Wodds & Doggerybaw: Lincs. Dial. Dict. (at cited word) Yon cat's allust nibbin' at itsen. 'As it got lops? †3. intransitive. To pick or pluck, in order to loosen. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the world > relative properties > wholeness > mutual relation of parts to whole > separation > separation or detachment > loosening or unfastening > loosen, unfasten, or untie [verb (transitive)] > untie > untie (a knot) > pick in order to undo nib1659 1659 C. Noble Inexpediency of Exped. 15 That makes their fingers so busie, and to nib so about the Knot that ties up and is the very Bond of our Peace. †4. transitive. slang. To nab, to catch. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the mind > possession > taking > seizing > catching or capture > catch or capture [verb (transitive)] i-lecchec1000 fang1016 hentOE takeOE alatchlOE catchc1275 wina1300 to take ina1387 attain1393 geta1400 overhent?a1400 restay?a1400 seizea1400 tachec1400 arrest1481 carrya1500 collara1535 snap1568 overgo1581 surprise1592 nibble1608 incaptivate1611 nicka1640 cop1704 chop1726 nail1735 to give a person the foot1767 capture1796 hooka1800 sniba1801 net1803 nib1819 prehend1831 corral1860 rope1877 1819 J. H. Vaux New Vocab. Flash Lang. in Memoirs II. 191 Nibb'd, taken in custody. 1870 J. P. Robson Evangeline 357 Up stackered Larty for a blaw, Fair on Ham's jug'lar nibb'd him. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). nibv.² Brit. /nɪb/, U.S. /nɪb/ Forms: 1700s– nib, 1800s knib. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: nib n.¹ Etymology: < nib n.¹With sense 1 compare later neb v. 3. 1. transitive. To provide (a pen) with a nib or point; to mend or sharpen the nib of (a quill pen). ΘΚΠ society > communication > writing > writing materials > writing instrument > [verb (transitive)] > adapt point of pen for writing nib1752 mend1820 neb1880 1752 E. Synge Let. 14 Aug. (1996) 455 You make your own pens, you say. Nib them a little broader. 1766 R. Griffith & E. Griffith Lett. Henry & Frances IV. 28 Come, spread your Paper, sharpen your Wit, nib your Pen, and away with it. 1795 J. Cobb Cherokee i. 66 I'll never nib another pen. 1822 W. M. Praed Lillian in Poems (1866) I. 73 I drink my coffee and nib my quill. 1865 G. M. Craik Winifred's Wooing (1879) 85 [He] was..mending a pen for himself, and nibbing it with critical exactness. 1939 Daily Tel. 18 Dec. 4/1 (advt.) The only fountain pen that is nibbed with this easy-writing ‘Relief’ nib. †2. transitive. figurative. To make sharper or more incisive. Obsolete. ΚΠ 1850 J. Hamilton Mem. Lady Colquhoun iv. 134 It would be easy for an ordinary critic to..nib into a sharper paradox the pungent aphorism. 1885 G. Meredith Diana of Crossways I. i. 17 The sentence wants more working to line the thought; or, if you will, the thought to nib expression. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, September 2003; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.¹1583n.²1655n.³1819v.¹1558v.²1752
随便看	kelvin kelvin balance kelvin degree kelvin double bridge kelvin replenisher kelvin scale kelvin temperature kelvin wave kelvin's law kelvins kelvinside kelvin–helmholtz kelyphite kemalism kemalist kemb kemb from or off kembed kember kembing kembing-claith kembing-stock kembingclaith kembingstock kembs

nibn.1

† nibn.2

nibn.3

Derivatives

nibv.1

nibv.2

nibn.¹

† nibn.²

nibn.³

nibv.¹

nibv.²