nick1 nounnick2 verb
nicknick1 /nɪk/ noun 
Word OriginWORD ORIGINnick1
ExamplesOrigin:
1400-1500 Perhaps from nock ‘small cut in the end of a bow for the string to fit in’ (14-20 centuries)EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
Thesaurus- Anyone still in Lewisham nick would have been carrying.
- But better in the nick of time than not at all.
- Even the smallest nick can cause streaking.
- I could smell their tobacco and see the nicks left by their razors.
- In the nick of time: according to one recent report 80 out of 92 league clubs are technically insolvent.
- They're all in the nick. charged with possession.
- With repairs completed in the nick of time she sailed for the operation with a depleted crew.
- You could see the nicks on them, places where you stuck some one.
Longman Language Activatorin a good condition► in good condition
Collocations something that is in good condition is not broken and has no marks or other things wrong with it: · The car hadn't been used much, and was in very good condition.· The charity is accepting toys and clothing in good condition.· The 3,000-year-old tools are still in such good condition it looks almost as if they were made yesterday.
► in good shape something that is in good shape is in good condition - use this especially when you do not really expect it to be or when it was not always in such good condition: · Doctor Morrissey told her that her leg was healing well, and was now in very good shape.· To avoid accidents, it's important to check that all your tools are in good shape before starting.
► in good nick British informal use this especially about something such as a car or a piece of equipment that is old or used, but is still in good condition and working well: · She keeps her car in really good nick.· My stereo's quite old but it's still in pretty good nick.
► in perfect/mint condition something that is in perfect or mint condition looks as good or works as well as when it was new, especially because it has not been used or touched very much: · The book is over 100 years old, but it's still in perfect condition.· I can't believe it. She's selling me her car for only £800 and it's still in mint condition.
► as good as new especially spoken something that is as good as new is almost as good as when it was new - use this about things that have recently been cleaned or repaired: · I've just had the bike serviced, and it looks as good as new.
when something happens before it is too late► in time · David said he'd take me to the concert, if he's home in time.· If you don't leave enough space between your car and the car in front, you may not be able to stop in time.in time to do something · Don't worry, I'll be back in time to cook dinner.· She's hoping to be out of hospital in time to celebrate her birthday at home.in time for · Do you think you'll be fit in time for Saturday's race?
► just in time happening or done in time, but almost too late: · She put her foot on the brakes just in time.just in time to do something: · He got to the airport just in time to catch the flight to Madrid.just in time for: · Come in. You're just in time for a cup of coffee.only just in time British: · We were only just in time. A few more minutes and the bank would have been closed.
► in the nick of time informal just in time to prevent something bad from happening - often used in stories: · Radio contact was established in the nick of time and we managed to transmit a message to the ship.just in the nick of time: · She escaped from her smoke-filled home just in the nick of time.
► not a moment too soon just in time to prevent something very bad from happening: · The ambulance finally arrived, not a moment too soon.
► at the last minute if something happens at the last minute , it happens at the latest possible time, just before it is too late: · An American businessman stepped in at the last minute to rescue the company.· Realizing its error at the last minute, the magazine just managed to correct the offending headline.
► at the eleventh hour if something happens at the eleventh hour , it happens at the latest possible time, just before it is too late - use this when you had almost given up hoping that something would happen: · War was averted at the eleventh hour when both sides agreed to talks.
► catch to manage to do something, talk to someone, see something etc just before it is too late: · I managed to catch her just as she was leaving the office.catch the post British (=post letters etc in time for them to be collected that day): · The letters were all addressed and stamped, and there was still plenty of time to catch the post.catch the news/a TV programme etc: · She was rushing to catch her favorite show on TV.
► cut it fine British /cut it close American to have very little time left before you have to be somewhere or do something, so that you are almost late: · Kelly had 10 minutes to reach the studio -- even in normal traffic that was cutting it close.cut it a bit fine: · You're cutting it a bit fine aren't you? The show starts in 2 minutes.cut it pretty close: · We cut it pretty close - we only had 30 minutes to get to the airport.
► before it's too late use this to tell or warn someone to do something now in order to prevent something bad from happening that they will not be able to change later: · You'd better get that letter back from her somehow, before it's too late.· We are urging the government to stop the bombing now, before it's too late.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADJECTIVE► good
Phrases· The county's elder statesmen were collectively in good nick, both off the court and when hitting it on it.· He was in good nick, in good shape.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRY► in the nick of time► in good nick/in bad nick etc► the nick
1in the nick of time just before it is too late, or just before something bad happens: - Radio contact was established in the nick of time and we managed to transmit a message to the ship.
- She escaped from her smoke-filled home just in the nick of time.
- The money came through just in the nick of time.
- But all was well in the nick of time.
- But better in the nick of time than not at all.
- Enter Taligent with its promised solution for rapid applications prototyping and customization in a hardware-independent environment just in the nick of time.
- He did, however, in the nick of time, and I was issued uneventfully into the governance of Calvin Coolidge.
- It finally happened -- and just in the nick of time.
- Patience, she counselled herself, and turned the chicken in the nick of time.
- Those doughty editorial professionals at the Star have once again helped us avert a foolish mistake just in the nick of time!
- With repairs completed in the nick of time she sailed for the operation with a depleted crew.
Luckily, help arrived in the nick of time.2in good nick/in bad nick etc British English informal in good condition or in bad condition: It’s an old car but it’s still in good nick.3[countable] a very small cut made on the edge or surface of something4the nick British English informal a police stationnick1 nounnick2 verb
nicknick2 verb [transitive] Verb TableVERB TABLE
nick
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | nick |
| he, she, it | nicks | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | nicked |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have nicked |
| he, she, it | has nicked | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had nicked |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will nick |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have nicked |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am nicking |
| he, she, it | is nicking | |
| you, we, they | are nicking | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was nicking |
| you, we, they | were nicking | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been nicking |
| he, she, it | has been nicking | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been nicking |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be nicking |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been nicking |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
Thesaurus- I must have nicked myself when I was shaving this morning.
- He'd scatter some of the grain he'd nicked, and fetch down the wire and cutters, and his books.
- He was not sure how he cut his hand, but suggested that he nicked himself while wrestling with his son.
- Roy Winters nicked a line-out ball, and the forwards worked their way closer.
- She looked, appropriately, nicked by the sarcasm of his tone.
- The bullet spun around his body, nicking a rib and burning across his back.
- There isn't a finite amount of love to go round so there's a danger some one else might nick your share.
- They'd nick you for lifting the wallet, and me as well probably, for helping you.
THESAURUS► steal
1British English informal to steal something SYN pinch, steal: to illegally take something that belongs to someone else: · The thieves stole over £10,000 worth of computer equipment.· Thousands of cars get stolen every year.
► take to steal something – used when it is clear from the situation that you mean that someone takes something dishonestly: · The boys broke into her house and took all her money.· They didn’t take much – just a few items of jewellery.
► burgle British English, burglarize American English [usually passive] to go into someone’s home and steal things, especially when the owners are not there: · Their house was burgled while they were away.· If you leave windows open, you are asking to be burgled.
► rob to steal money or other things from a bank, shop, or person: · The gang were convicted of robbing a bank in Essex.· An elderly woman was robbed at gunpoint in her own home.· He’s serving a sentence for robbing a grocery store.
► mug to attack someone in the street and steal something from them: · People in this area are frightened of being mugged when they go out.· Someone tried to mug me outside the station.
► nick/pinch British English informal to steal something: · Someone’s nicked my wallet!· When I came back, my car had been pinched.
► embezzle to steal money from the organization you work for, especially money that you are responsible for: · Government officials embezzled more than $2.5 million from the department.
► shoplifting stealing things from a shop by taking them when you think no one is looking: · Shoplifting costs stores millions of pounds every year.
► phishing the activity of dishonestly persuading people to give you their credit card details over the Internet, so that you can steal money from their bank account: · Phishing is becoming very popular with computer criminals.
Longman Language Activatorto cut part of your body, especially accidentally► cut · She cut her hand trying to open a can of sardines.cut something on something · One of the children had cut her foot on some glass.cut yourself shaving · Phil cut himself shaving this morning.
► scratch to cut part of your body very slightly leaving a long very thin cut: · The cat scratched me while I was playing with her.· She found her friend, Felicia Moon, bruised and scratched after a fight with her husband.
► graze/scrape to slightly break the surface of your skin by rubbing against something, for example when you fall on the ground: · Oliver fell down on the path and grazed his knee.· I wasn't really hurt - I scraped my elbows a bit, that's all.
► gash a large, deep cut in someone's skin: · The accident left her with an ugly gash above the left eye.
► nick to accidentally make a small cut in the surface of your skin: · I must have nicked myself when I was shaving this morning.
to steal something► steal to take something that does not belong to you without the owner's permission in a dishonest or illegal way: · Thousands of cars get stolen every year.· In the end he had to steal in order to survive.steal from: · drug addicts who steal from their friends and familiessteal something from: · Thieves stole paintings worth $5 million from a Paris art gallery.have something stolen: · It's strange he should have had so many things stolen in just a week.get stolen: · My grandfather refused to put his money in a bank because he was afraid it would get stolen.
► take to steal something, especially money or things that can be carried away: · Someone has been taking money from the cash box.· The burglars took our TV and stereo, but they didn't find the jewellery.
► nick/pinch British spoken to steal something: · I wonder where she got that coat -- do you think she nicked it?· Jimmy was caught pinching money from his mum's purse.
► rip off spoken to steal something, especially someone's personal possessions: rip off something: · While I was out, someone went into my hotel room and ripped off the rest of my travelers' checks.
► go off with/walk off with to steal something very easily, by picking it up and walking away with it, usually without anyone noticing: · My bag's disappeared! That woman must have walked off with it!· Guards in the lobby prevent employees from going off with computers and sensitive documents.
► help yourself to informal to steal something very easily without anyone trying to stop you: · While no one was looking Louise and Alice helped themselves to some apples and bananas.· Burglars cut through the ceiling and helped themselves to $3.6 million in jewels.
► pilfer to steal things, especially small things or things you do not think are very valuable: · The farmer caught them pilfering apples from his orchard.· The villagers pilfered stones from ancient ruined cities to build their houses.
► swipe informal to steal something quickly when someone is not looking: · While I was swimming in the river, somebody swiped all my clothes!· I wish I knew who'd swiped my earrings.
► snitch American informal to steal something, especially something small and not very valuable: · The supermarket has a problem with kids snitching candy bars off the shelves.· He watched as Grover snitched two packets of sugar from behind the counter.
WORD SETS► Crimeabet, verbaccusation, nounaccuse, verbaffray, nounarson, nounassault, nounassault and battery, nounbackhander, nounbattery, nounbigamy, nounblack market, nounblack marketeer, nounbreak-in, nounbreaking and entering, nouncaper, nouncapital, adjectivecarjacking, nouncat burglar, nouncontract, nouncosh, nouncounterfeit, adjectivecounterfeit, verbcover, nouncrack, verbcriminal, adjectivecriminal, nouncriminal law, nouncriminal record, nouncriminology, nouncrook, nounculpable, adjectiveculprit, noundefamation, noundefraud, verbdelinquency, noundelinquent, adjectivedelinquent, noundesperado, noundisorderly, adjectivedrug baron, noundrug runner, nounDUI, nounembezzle, verbexpropriate, verbextort, verbeyewitness, nounfelon, nounfelony, nounfence, nounfiddle, nounfiddle, verbfiddler, nounfilch, verbfinger, verbfire-raising, nounfirst offender, nounflash, verbflasher, nounforge, verbforger, nounforgery, nounfoul play, nounframe, verbframe-up, nounfratricide, nounfraud, nounfreebooter, noungang, noungang-bang, noungang rape, noungangster, nounGBH, noungenocide, noungetaway, noungodfather, noungrand larceny, noungrass, noungrievous bodily harm, nounheist, nounhijack, verbhijack, nounhijacking, nounhit, nounhit-and-run, adjectivehit man, nounincriminate, verbindecent assault, nounindecent exposure, nouninfanticide, nounjob, nounjoyriding, nounjuvenile delinquent, nounkidnap, verblarceny, nounlibel, nounlibel, verblibellous, adjectivelow life, nounmafioso, nounmalpractice, nounmanslaughter, nounmassacre, nounmassacre, verbmatricide, nounmisappropriate, verbmisconduct, nounmisdeed, nounmisdemeanour, nounmobster, nounmoll, nounmug, verbmugshot, nounmurder, nounmurder, verbmurderer, nounmurderess, nounmuscleman, nounnark, nounnefarious, adjectiveneighbourhood watch, nounnick, verbno-go area, nounoffence, nounoffend, verboffender, nounold lag, nounorganized crime, nounoutlaw, nounparricide, nounpatricide, nounpetty larceny, nounPhotofit, nounpiracy, nounplant, verbpoach, verbpoacher, nounpossession, nounprivateer, nounprotection, nounprowl, verbprowler, nounpublic nuisance, nounpull, verbpunk, nounpurloin, verbraid, nounram-raiding, nounrape, verbrape, nounrapist, nounravish, verbreceiver, nounreceiving, nounrecidivist, nounregicide, nounring, nounringleader, nounriotous, adjectiverob, verbrobber, nounrobbery, nounroll, verbrustler, nounscheme, nounscheme, verbshady, adjectiveshoplift, verbshoplifting, nounslander, nounsmuggle, verbsnout, nounspeeding, nounstabbing, nounstalking, nounstatutory offence, nounstatutory rape, nounsteal, verbstoolpigeon, nounsupergrass, nounsuspect, nounswag, nountheft, nounthief, nounthievish, adjectivetorch, verbtraffic, nountrafficker, nountriad, noununder-the-counter, adjectiveunderworld, nounundesirable, nounvagrancy, nounvandal, nounvandalism, nounvandalize, verbvice, nounvigilante, nounvillainy, nounviolate, verbviolation, nounwanted, adjective
Someone’s nicked my wallet.nick something from somebody/something You nicked those pens from my desk.► see thesaurus at steal2to make a small cut in the surface or edge of something, usually by accident: He nicked his hand on some broken glass.3British English informal if the police nick you, they catch you and charge you with a crime SYN arrest: You’re nicked!