Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English homepage

Date: 1500-1600
Origin: Perhaps from Low German nibbeln 'to chew bits off'

nibble

1 verb
     
nibble
Related topics: Food
nib‧ble1
1 [intransitive and transitive]DF to eat small amounts of food by taking very small bites:
He nibbled the biscuit cautiously.
nibble at
There's a fish nibbling at my bait.
nibble on
He nibbled on a piece of raw carrot.
2 [transitive] to gently bite someone in a loving way:
He began to nibble her ear affectionately.

nibble away at something

phrasal verb
to take away small amounts of something so that the total amount is gradually reduced:
All these expenses are nibbling away at our savings.
The Scottish National Party is beginning to nibble away at Labour's majority.
Definition from the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
Advanced Learner's Dictionary.

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