nick
英 [nɪk] 美 [nɪk]
v.刻痕；赶上；说中；<俚>欺骗；偷盗；逮捕 n.刻痕；缺口；情况；<俚>监狱 Nick n.尼克(男子名)
◉Etymology
“Nick”的起源可以追溯到中古英语“nik”或“niche”，意为“刻痕”或“切口”，可能与古英语“niccian”（划痕）有关。这一词根或许与日耳曼语系的“knacken”（裂开）或“knecken”（折断）有远亲关系，暗示了某种物理上的切割或标记行为。到15世纪，“nick”逐渐进入英语，最初指刀刃上的小缺口，后来扩展为“及时抓住”或“偷窃”等引申义。作为名字“Nick”，它则是“Nicholas”（尼古拉斯）的常见缩写，源自希腊语“Nikolaos”，意为“人民的胜利”（nikē=胜利，laos=人民）。
◉外刊例句
① 《The Guardian》 (2023年8月17日)
The car escaped with just a nick on its bumper after the chaotic chase.
那辆车在混乱的追逐后逃脱了，保险杠上只有一个小划痕。
② 《The New York Times》 (2024年12月5日)
She arrived in the nick of time, just as the doors were closing.
她在最后一刻赶到，正好在门关闭时。
◉经典名著
① 《坎特伯雷故事集》（The Canterbury Tales）——杰弗里·乔叟 (约1387-1400年)
He made a nick upon the staff to mark his measure true.
他在木杖上刻了一个小痕，以准确标记他的测量。
② 《了不起的盖茨比》（The Great Gatsby）——F·斯科特·菲茨杰拉德 (1925年)
He nicked the corner of the table as he stumbled past.
他跌跌撞撞经过时，碰掉了桌子一角
◉Usage Examples
(1) A bullet nicked his leg.
(2) We nicked the last bus.
(3) He nicked me for a thousand dollars.
(4) There is a nick on my hand.
(5) Make a nick in the cloth with the scissors.
(6) He's in pretty good nick for a 70-year-old.
(7) The burglar was taken to the local nick.
(1) 一颗子弹擦伤了他的腿。
(2) 我们刚好赶上末班公车。
(3) 他骗我一千美元。
(4) 我的手上有个小伤口。
(5) 用剪子在布料上剪个缺口。
(6) 对70岁的人来说,他身体很好。
(7) 窃贼已带到警察分局。
◉Colins
1. [VERB 动词]偷；偷窃 If someone nicks something, they steal it. [V n] [BRIT 英] [INFORMAL 非正式]
He smashed a window to get in and nicked a load of silver cups...
他破窗而入，偷走了很多银杯。
We used to nick biscuits from the kitchen.
以前我们常到厨房偷饼干吃。
2. [VERB 动词]抓住；逮捕 If the police nick someone, they arrest them. [V n] [get/be V-ed] [BRIT 英] [INFORMAL 非正式]
The police nicked me for carrying an offensive weapon...
警察以携带攻击性武器为由逮捕了我。
Keep quiet or we'll all get nicked.
别出声，要不然我们都会被抓住的。
3. [N-COUNT 可数名词]监狱；监牢；警察局 The nick is a prison, or a police station. [usu sing] [BRIT 英] [INFORMAL 非正式]
After several years banged up in the nick, even you might start to go mad.
在监狱关上几年后，就算是你，也可能会变疯的。
4. [VERB 动词]使有划痕；划伤；擦伤 If you nick something or nick yourself, you accidentally make a small cut in the surface of the object or your skin. [V n] [V pron-refl]
When I pulled out of the space, I nicked the rear bumper of the car in front of me...
我把车从车位开出来时，蹭到了前面那辆车的后保险杠。
A sharp blade is likely to nick the skin and draw blood...
锋利的刀刃可能会划伤皮肤，导致出血。
He dropped a bottle in the kitchen and nicked himself on broken glass.
他在厨房不小心打碎了一个瓶子，被碎玻璃片划伤了。
5. [N-COUNT 可数名词](通常指皮肤上的)划痕，破口 A nick is a small cut made in the surface of something, usually in someone's skin.
The barbed wire had left only the tiniest nick just below my right eye.
带刺铁丝网在我的右眼正下方只留了非常小的划痕。
6. [VERB 动词]欺骗；敲…竹杠 If you are nicked by someone, they cheat you, for example by charging you too much money. [be V-ed] [AM 美] [INFORMAL 非正式]
College students already are being nicked, but probably don't realize it.
大学生已经上了当，但他们或许还没有意识到。
7. [PHRASE 短语]处于良好状态/处于糟糕状态 Nick is used in expressions such as 'in good nick' or 'in bad nick' to describe the physical condition of someone or something. [v-link PHR] [BRIT 英] [INFORMAL 非正式]
His ribs were damaged, but other than that he's in good nick...
他的肋骨受了损伤，但除此之外一切都还好。
Tom's house is actually in better nick than mine.
说实在的，汤姆家房子的状况比我家的强。
8. [PHRASE 短语]在事情正好发生的时候；关键时刻 If you say that something happens in the nick of time, you are emphasizing that it happens at the last possible moment. [usu PHR after v] [emphasis]
Seems we got here just in the nick of time...
看来我们来得正是时候。
News of interest cuts came in the nick of time for borrowers.
对借款人来说，减息的消息来得正是时候。
