nip
verb uk/nɪp/ us/nɪp/ -pp-
(GO QUICKLY)
[ I usually + adv/prep ] UK informal快走;去一会儿
to go somewhere quickly or be somewhere for only a short time
Can you nip out/round/down to the shop for me? 你能替我跑一趟商店吗？
Shall we nip in to the café for a bite to eat? 我们要不要去咖啡馆随便吃点东西？
(PRESS QUICKLY)
[ I or T ]咬;夹;掐;捏
to press something quickly and quite hard between two objects, especially sharp objects such as teeth or nails
Josie's hamster nipped me. 乔西的仓鼠咬了我。
Idiom
nip something in the budidiom 把…消灭在萌芽状态，对…防患于未然
to stop something before it has an opportunity to become established
Many serious illnesses can be nipped in the bud if they are detected early enough. 如果及早确诊，许多恶疾可以治愈。
It's important to nip this kind of bullying in the bud. 重要的是及早制止这种欺凌弱小的行为。
nip
noun uk/nɪp/ us/nɪp/
(COLD)
a nip (in the air)informal 寒冷，严寒
If there is a nip in the air, the air outside is quite cold.
You can tell winter's on its way - there's a real nip in the air in the mornings. 你可以感觉到冬天即将来临——早晨颇感寒气袭人。
(QUICK BITE/PRESS)
咬;夹;掐;捏
an occasion when something nips a person or thing
The dog gave me a nip when we were playing. 狗在和我玩的时候咬了我一下。
(DRINK)
[ C ] UK informal少量（烈性酒）
a small amount of strong alcoholic drink
a nip of gin/brandy 一点儿杜松子酒／白兰地
Idioms
a nip (here) and a tuck (there)idiom US informal 一系列小幅缩减
a series of small reductions
The department made a nip here and a tuck there, but they were still way over budget. 这个部门实施了一系列小幅缩减，但他们的开支还是远远超出预算。
a nip and tuckidiom informal 整形手术（同 plastic surgery）
→ plastic surgery
I suspect she's had a nip and tuck to look like that at her age. 她这个年纪却有着那样的外表，我怀疑她做过整形手术。
nip and tuckidiom mainly US （比赛中）势均力敌，不相上下
If a competition is nip and tuck, first one side seems to be winning and then the other, so that the result is not certain.
It was nip and tuck as to who would win the playoffs. 加时赛上双方势均力敌，难解难分。
岌岌可危
If a situation is nip and tuck, someone or something in that situation comes very close to failing or ending.
For several months it was nip and tuck, but we managed to pull the company out of bankruptcy. 几个月时间内一直岌岌可危，但是我们成功地把公司从破产边缘拯救了过来。