nybble

Noun (1)

nibble (plural nibbles)

1. An act of taking a small, quick bite, or several of such bites, especially with the front teeth; the bite or bites so taken.
   • [H]e would sit on a wet rock, with a rod as long and heavy as a Tartar's lance, and fish all day without a murmur, even though he should not be encouraged by a single nibble.1819 June 23, Geoffrey Crayon [pseudonym; Washington Irving], “Rip Van Winkle”, in The Sketch Book of Geoffrey Crayon, Gent., number I, New York, N.Y.: […] C[ornelius] S. Van Winkle, […], →OCLC, page...
2. A light bite of a person or animal, or part of their body, especially one which is loving or playful; a nip.
3. An amount of food that is or can be taken into the mouth through a small bite; a small mouthful.
   • Yo'r sheep will be a' folded, a reckon, Measter Pratt, for there'll ne'er be a nibble o' grass to be seen this two month, according to my reading; […]1863, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, “New Year’s Fête”, in Sylvia’s Lovers. […], volume I, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], →OCLC, page 268
4. (figuratively) A slight show of interest in something, such as a commercial opportunity or a proposal.
5. (obsolete, rare) Grass or other vegetation eaten by livestock; forage, pasturage.
   • On the northern slopes of the light-earthed hills the moss had come over the herbage, and the sweet nibble of the sheep was souring.1875, Richard Doddridge Blackmore, “Going Up the Tree”, in Alice Lorraine. A Tale of the South Downs. […], volume III, London: Sampson Low, Marston, Low, & Searle, […], →OCLC, page 67

Noun (2)

nibble (plural nibbles)

1. A unit of memory equal to half a byte, or chiefly four bits.
   • I own several abaci and two books on how to use them, but they all have four counters below the bar and one counter above it. […] The bottom four counters of each abacus can be used to represent a "nybble," and the upper counter on each can be used for parity.1978 May 22, William B. Adams, “Letters to the Editor: Query on Abacus”, in E. Drake Lundell Jr., editor, Computerworld: The Newsweekly for the Computer Community, volume XII, number 21, Newton...

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