rhizoverbBeta
DictionarynibbleSmall bites
verb / noun

nibble

NIB-uhl/ˈnɪbl/

Eating a little food in small bites.

I nibble a cracker while I wait for dinner.

An older man takes a tiny bite from the edge of a plain biscuit, with several small scalloped bite marks already visible along that edge.
Etymology
nibbleLow Germanto nibble, gnaw

Nibble perhaps comes from Low German nibbeln, “nibble, gnaw.” This proposed connection points to eating by repeatedly gnawing off small bits.

In context

Get.factual39:21
They nibble on roots and shoots, and can damage a plant from below.
The Secret Garden - Springtime's Micro-Ecosystems - Full Nature Documentary

More examples

  • The rabbit nibbles the edge of a lettuce leaf.
  • She takes a nibble of toast before leaving.
  • We nibbled on cheese while the soup simmered.

Forms

nibble · nibbles · nibbled · nibbling

nibbler noun — A person or animal that nibbles.

Similar words

munch
Emphasizes steady chewing rather than taking very small bites.
snack
Emphasizes eating between meals, not the size of each bite.