nibble

• vi. ちょっとずつかじる。
• vt. かじる；少しずつかじる；欠点を見つける
• n. 軽くかじる；かじる；細かくかじる

nib, beak, くちばし, nibbleから派生。

nibble (v.)

"to bite gently," c. 1500, perhaps from Low German nibbeln "to nibble, gnaw," related to Middle Low German nibbelen, Middle Dutch knibbelen "to gnaw," source of Dutch knibbelen "to cavail, squabble." Related: Nibbled; nibbling.

nibble (n.)

1650s, "act of nibbling," from nibble (v.). As "a small bite," from 1838.

1. The birds cling to the wall and nibble at the brickwork.

鳥たちは壁に密着し、れんがの縫い目をつついている。

2.Instead of snacking on crisps and chocolate， nibble on celery or carrot.

ポテトチップスとチョコレートをおやつとして食べないで、セロリとニンジンを食べてください。

3.We each took a nibble .

私たちは一人で一口噛んだ。

4.He started to nibble his biscuit.

彼はクッキーをかじり始めた。

5.Each nibble was eaten with the air of an epicure.

小さな食べ物ごとにおいしそうに食べている様子。