different between mumble vs nicker

English

Etymology

From Middle English momelen, a frequentative of mum (sense 3) (“silent”). Compare German mümmeln, Middle Dutch mommelen and Dutch mompelen.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?m?mb?l/
• Rhymes: -?mb?l

Verb

mumble (third-person singular simple present mumbles, present participle mumbling, simple past and past participle mumbled)

1. (transitive, intransitive) To speak unintelligibly or inaudibly; to fail to articulate.
   • 1680, Thomas Otway, The Orphan

     A wrinkled hag, with age grown double, / Picking dry sticks, and mumbling to herself.

2. To chew something gently with closed lips.

Synonyms

• See also Thesaurus:mutter

Derived terms

Translations

Noun

mumble (plural mumbles)

1. A quiet or unintelligible vocalization; a low tone of voice.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• bummle

English

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?k?(?)/
• Rhymes: -?k?(r)
• Homophone: knicker; nikka (in non-rhotic accents)

Etymology 1

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

nicker (plural nicker)

1. (Britain, slang) Pound sterling.

Synonyms

• (pound sterling): pound (standard), pound sterling (standard), quid (slang), sov (slang)

Derived terms

• Alan Whicker

Etymology 2

Imitative; from 1774.

Noun

nicker (plural nickers)

1. A soft neighing sound characteristic of a horse.
2. A snigger or suppressed laugh.

Verb

nicker (third-person singular simple present nickers, present participle nickering, simple past and past participle nickered)

1. To make a soft neighing sound characteristic of a horse.
   • 1971, Lin Carter, The Quest of Kadji, 1999, Wildside Press, page 187,

     Behind him, old Akthoob was grumbling loudly, saying something about the midday meal, and Haral, the black Feridoon pony, snuffing in the old, familiar scent of the green meadows of the Chaya's banks, the warm sweet smells of home, was nickering eagerly.

   • 1988, William Nack, Secretariat: The Making of a Champion, 2002, Da Capo Press, page 58,

     "Nasrullah's nickerin’, Mr. Arthur. Somethin's wrong."

     "Hell, he's nickered before. He nickers all the time!"

     Robinson and Snow looked at each other, saying nothing for a moment, and finally Snow told Hancock that Nasrullah never nickered in the paddock.

   • 2012, Jim Campbell, Bobcat, Xlibris, page 21,

     After a few minutes, the mare walked over and nickered loudly in his ear, and he immediately got to his feet and stripped the gear from the waiting horse.

2. To produce a snigger or suppressed laugh.

Synonyms

• (to make a neighing sound): neigh, whinny

Translations

Etymology 3

nick +? -er

Noun

nicker (plural nickers)

1. (obsolete, slang) One of the night brawlers of London formerly noted for breaking windows with halfpence.

   (Can we find and add a quotation of Arbuthnot to this entry?)

2. The cutting lip which projects downward at the edge of a boring bit and cuts a circular groove in the wood to limit the size of the hole that is bored.
3. (informal) Someone who nicks (steals) something, a thief.
   • 1934, Eddie Browne, Road Pirate: The Confessions of a Motor Bandit (page 141)

     He […] was far more interested in the fact that I was a car thief and an expert driver than that I was a bandit. […] Car nicker, are you?

Verb

nicker (third-person singular simple present nickers, present participle nickering, simple past and past participle nickered)

1. (Britain, informal) To snatch or steal.

Etymology 4

From Middle English niker, from Old English nicor.

Noun

nicker (plural nickers)

1. A type of mythological sea creature or sea monster; also, a water sprite; a nix or nixie; a mermaid or merman.

Anagrams

• Cernik, Kincer, Renick