nipper
nipper Lexical Profile
nipper Game Scores & Validity
• noun
British A small child, especially a young boy (informal).
"My grandfather remembers walking five miles to school when he was just a little nipper."
A tool with hinged jaws, such as pincers, pliers, or forceps, used for gripping, pinching, or cutting objects (usually used in the plural).
"The carpenter used a pair of heavy iron nippers to pull the rusted nails out of the floorboards."
One of the large pinching claws or chelae of a crustacean, such as a crab or lobster.
"Wait until the crab lowers its formidable nippers before attempting to lift it from the bucket."
Australian A young child between the ages of five and fourteen who participates in a junior surf lifesaving training program.
"Every Sunday morning during summer, hundreds of nippers gather on the beach to practice board paddling and water safety."
• Rhymes for nipper
Word Origin & Etymology
First recorded in the mid-16th century, formed from the verb 'nip' (to pinch or bite sharply) plus the agentive suffix '-er'.