Source : Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)

Nip \Nip\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Nipped}, less properly {Nipt};
   p. pr. & vb. n. {Nipping}.] [OE. nipen; cf. D. niipen to
   pinch, also knippen to nip, clip, pinch, snap, knijpen to
   pinch, LG. knipen, G. kneipen, kneifen, to pinch, cut off,
   nip, Lith. knebti.]
   1. To catch and inclose or compress tightly between two
      surfaces, or points which are brought together or closed;
      to pinch; to close in upon.

            May this hard earth cleave to the Nadir hell, Down,
            down, and close again, and nip me flat, If I be such
            a traitress.                          --Tennyson.

   2. To remove by pinching, biting, or cutting with two meeting
      edges of anything; to clip.

            The small shoots . . . must be nipped off.
                                                  --Mortimer.

   3. Hence: To blast, as by frost; to check the growth or vigor
      of; to destroy.

   4. To vex or pain, as by nipping; hence, to taunt.

            And sharp remorse his heart did prick and nip.
                                                  --Spenser.

   {To nip in the bud}, to cut off at the verycommencement of
      growth; to kill in the incipient stage.

Nipping \Nip"ping\, a.
   Biting; pinching; painful; destructive; as, a nipping frost;
   a nipping wind.

Source : WordNet®

nip
     n 1: a small drink of liquor; "he poured a shot of whiskey" [syn:
           {shot}]
     2: a person of Japanese descent [syn: {Jap}]
     3: a tart spiciness [syn: {piquance}, {piquancy}, {tang}, {tanginess},
         {zest}]
     4: a small drink [syn: {sip}]
     5: small sharp biting [syn: {pinch}]
     [also: {nipping}, {nipped}]

nipping
     adj 1: capable of wounding; "a barbed compliment"; "a biting
            aphorism"; "pungent satire" [syn: {barbed}, {biting},
            {pungent}, {mordacious}]
     2: pleasantly cold and invigorating; "crisp clear nights and
        frosty mornings"; "a nipping wind"; "a nippy fall day";
        "snappy weather"; (`parky' is a British term) [syn: {crisp},
         {frosty}, {nippy}, {snappy}, {parky}]

nip
     v 1: squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her
          behind"; "She squeezed the bottle" [syn: {pinch}, {squeeze},
           {twinge}, {tweet}, {twitch}]
     2: give a small sharp bite to; "The Queen's corgies always nip
        at her staff's ankles"
     3: sever or remove by pinching or snipping; "nip off the
        flowers" [syn: {nip off}, {clip}, {snip}, {snip off}]
     [also: {nipping}, {nipped}]

nipping
     See {nip}