Nibbling
/ˈnɪb.lɪŋ/noun
Chewing or biting gently in small bites.
Did you know?The word ultimately belongs to the same ancient Germanic family as words for pinching and biting, which is why it carries that tiny, repetitive, almost ritual sense of taking away bit by bit.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*snebʰ-
“to bite, nip, or pinch”
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*hnibbaną
“to nibble or pinch”
Old English
OE
hnibbian
“to pinch, nibble, or peck at”
Middle English
ME
niblen
“to bite or gnaw in small bites”
Modern English
English
nibble
“to bite or eat in small bites”
Modern English
English
nibbling
“biting or eating in small bites”