nick

Meaning

1. A small cut in a surface.
2. A small cut in a surface.
3. Senses connoting something small.
4. Senses connoting something small.
5. Senses connoting something small.
6. (colloquial) Often in the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state.
7. (slang) A police station or prison.

notch

the nick

deprive of

shredded tobacco

marks on a ruler

walk off with

scollop

crack

commit larceny

petty criticism

nick-time

slot wedge

deprive … of

Frequency

Pronounced as (IPA)

/nɪk/

The noun is derived from Late Middle English nik (“notch, tally; nock of an arrow”). Its further etymology is unknown; a connection with nock (“notch in a bow to hold the bowstring; notch at the rear of an arrow that fits the bowstring; cleft in the buttocks”) has not been clearly established. The verb appears to be derived from the noun, though the available evidence shows that some of the verb senses predate the noun senses. No connection with words in Germanic languages such as Danish nikke (“to nod”), Middle Dutch nicken (“to bend; to bow”) (modern Dutch knikken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German nicken (“to bend over; to sink”), Middle High German nicken (“to bend; to depress”) (modern German nicken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German knicken (“to bend; to snap”) (modern German knicken (“to bend; to break”), Old Frisian hnekka (“to nod”), and Swedish nicka (“to nod”), has been clearly established.