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Glite Dictionary
nip of winter

nip of winter

6.8
A small sharp cold feeling in the air that means winter is coming
  • noun
  • UK
translation icon : frío
  • You can already feel the nip of winter in the early morning air.

Examples

  • As he stepped outside, the nip of winter made him shiver.

  • I felt a nip of winter as I stepped outside.

  • The nip of winter signaled that the holidays were not far off.

  • The nips of winter are harsh this year.

  • As he stepped outside, the nip of winter made him shiver.

  • You can already feel the nip of winter in the early morning air.

  • The nip of winter signaled that the holidays were not far off.

Synonyms

nip
vsnip of winter
11 6.3

A small sharp taste or feeling, for example from cold

is that same sensation specifically from cold winter air
chil
vsnip of winter
  • Informal
1 9.9

A slight feeling of cold or a shiver

is a sharper, more biting cold feeling typical of winter air

Antonyms

warmth
90 1.0

A gentle feeling of heat on your skin

mildness
1.8

Pleasant weather that is not very cold or hot

How Cold

deep freeze
  • UK
2 4.3
cold snap
  • UK
6 3.2
bitter
45 2.7
nip of winter
  • UK
6.8
chill
87 1.0

Surface Forms

nip of winter singular
nips of winter plural

Morphology

nip + of + winter

The meaning 'a sharp, cold sensation characteristic of winter air' is directly and transparently derived from 'nip' (a brief sharp sting) combined with 'winter' (the cold season) using a standard noun-of-N pattern. This compositional relationship is cross-linguistically common and follows predictable English collocation patterns, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words would readily infer the MWE meaning.

Etymology

Nip of winter comes from the idea of nip as a small bite or pinch of cold on your skin during winter. So, it now means a quick, sharp 'cold' feeling in the air.