1. A small cut
   "The knife left a nick in the wooden table";
   - notch, snick
    
2. An impression in a surface (as made by a blow)
   "There was a nick in the blade of the knife";
   - dent, ding, gouge
    
3. [Brit, informal] Condition
   "the house is in very bad nick"
    
4. [Brit, slang] A prison
   "he's in the nick";
   - quod [Brit, slang], jug [Brit, slang]

1. Cut slightly, with a razor
   "The barber's knife nicked his cheek";
   - snick
    
2. Cut a nick into
   "He nicked his chin while shaving";
   - chip
    
3. Divide or reset the tail muscles of
   "nick horses"
    
4. [Brit, informal] Take into custody
   "the police nicked the suspected criminals";
   - collar [informal], nail [informal], apprehend, arrest, pick up, nab [informal], cop [informal], pinch [Brit, informal]
    
5. [Brit, informal] Take by theft
   "He was going to nick the phone someone had left behind";
   - hook [informal], snitch [informal], thieve, cop [informal], knock off [informal], glom [N. Amer, informal], boost [N. Amer, informal], pilfer, cabbage [archaic, informal], purloin [informal], pinch [Brit, informal], abstract [informal], snarf [N. Amer, informal], swipe [informal], sneak [informal], filch [informal], nobble [Brit, informal], lift [informal], snatch [informal], whip [Brit, informal], blag [Brit, informal]
    
6. Mate successfully; of livestock
   "The farmer was pleased when his prize bull nicked with the heifer"

Derived forms: nicking, nicked, nicks

Type of: alter, blemish, change, clutch, copulate, couple, cut, cutting, defect, mar, mate, modify, pair, prehend [archaic], prison, prison house, rip [N. Amer, informal], rip off [informal], seize, steal, take hold, take hold of

Encyclopedia: Nick, Peter