nip something ↔ off
From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishnip something ↔ off phrasal verbDLGREMOVEto remove a small part of something, especially a plant, by pressing it tightly between your finger and thumb She nipped off a dead flower. → nip→ See Verb tableExamples from the Corpusnip off• He drew on it, then took it out of his mouth and nipped the end off before dropping it on the floor.