to nickel
- verb
- /ˈnɪkəl/
- Specialized
- So, they nickel-and-dime the small things and step up on the large.
Examples
-
Don't you nickel and dime me.
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- You don't nickel and dime me on it.
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When you spread help too thin, you just nickel and dime the situation.
Fiction book (1990) -
Just buying more votes while we nickel and dime our troops.
Blog text (4) -
If your time is valuable enough to hire someone, you do not have the time to nickel and dime your PA.
Blog text (9) -
Don't nickel and dime your guests.
Blog text (25) -
They'll nickel-and-dime you to death.
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They also seem to look down on selling their products directly to users ("we don't want to nickel and dime our users").
Blog text (23) -
Shouldn't our mass transit system be well preserved, instead of nickeled and dimed to death by budget cuts?
Blog text (5) -
The jeweler started to nickel the silver ring to give it a shiny finish.
Synonyms
To cover an object with a thin layer of metal
To cover an object with a thin layer of metal using electricity
Idioms
Phrasal Verbs
Compounds
- Specialized
A strong steel alloy with chromium and nickel that resists rust and stays flexible at different temperatures
- Specialized
A metal made from copper, nickel, and zinc that looks like silver and is used for knives and forks
- Specialized
Metal made by adding nickel to steel so it resists rust and is very strong
- Specialized
A metal made mainly of nickel that resists very high heat and chemical damage
- Specialized
A strong metal you get by mixing copper and nickel that resists corrosion
A warm metal color for paint and fixtures that looks like metal you get by mixing copper and nickel
A rechargeable battery that uses nickel and cadmium to store electricity
A strong rechargeable battery made from nickel and iron that lasts many charges
- Specialized
A battery you can charge again made from nickel and iron that lasts a long time
Surface Forms
Etymology
Nickel The verb nickel comes from the metal nickel and means to cover an object with a thin layer of that metal. So to nickel something is to give it a protective nickel coat.