different between nick vs trench

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) IPA^(key): /n?k/
• Homophone: Nick
• Rhymes: -?k

Etymology 1

The noun is derived from Late Middle English nik (“notch, tally; nock of an arrow”). Its further etymology is unknown; a connection with nock (“notch in a bow to hold the bowstring; notch at the rear of an arrow that fits the bowstring; cleft in the buttocks”) has not been clearly established.

The verb appears to be derived from the noun, though the available evidence shows that some of the verb senses predate the noun senses. No connection with words in Germanic languages such as Danish nikke (“to nod”), Middle Dutch nicken (“to bend; to bow”) (modern Dutch knikken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German nicken (“to bend over; to sink”), Middle High German nicken (“to bend; to depress”) (modern German nicken (“to nod”)), Middle Low German knicken (“to bend; to snap”) (modern German knicken (“to bend; to break”), Old Frisian hnekka (“to nod”), and Swedish nicka (“to nod”), has been clearly established.

Noun

nick (plural nicks)

1. A small cut in a surface.
   1. (now rare) A particular place or point considered as marked by a nick; the exact point or critical moment.
   2. (printing, dated) A notch cut crosswise in the shank of a type, to assist a compositor in placing it properly in the stick, and in distribution.
2. Senses connoting something small.
   1. (cricket) A small deflection of the ball off the edge of the bat, often going to the wicket-keeper for a catch.
   2. (genetics) One of the single-stranded DNA segments produced during nick translation.
   3. (real tennis, squash (sport), racquetball) The point where the wall of the court meets the floor.
3. (Britain, New Zealand, slang) Often in the expressions in bad nick and in good nick: condition, state.
4. (Britain, law enforcement, slang) A police station or prison.

Derived terms

• in the nick of time

Translations

Verb

nick (third-person singular simple present nicks, present participle nicking, simple past and past participle nicked)

1. (transitive) To make a nick or notch in; to cut or scratch in a minor way.
   1. (transitive) To make ragged or uneven, as by cutting nicks or notches in; to deface, to mar.
   2. (transitive, rare) To make a crosscut or cuts on the underside of (the tail of a horse, in order to make the animal carry it higher).
2. (transitive, obsolete) To fit into or suit, as by a correspondence of nicks; to tally with.
   1. (transitive) To hit at, or in, the nick; to touch rightly; to strike at the precise point or time.
   2. (transitive, cricket) To hit the ball with the edge of the bat and produce a fine deflection.
   3. (transitive, gaming) To throw or turn up (a number when playing dice); to hit upon.
3. (transitive, mining) To make a cut at the side of the face.
4. (transitive, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, slang) To steal.
5. (transitive, Britain, law enforcement, slang) To arrest.

Derived terms

• nicker
• nicking (noun)

Translations

Etymology 2

From nick(name).

Noun

nick (plural nicks)

1. (Internet) Clipping of nickname.

Verb

nick (third-person singular simple present nicks, present participle nicking, simple past and past participle nicked)

1. (transitive, obsolete) To give or call (someone) by a nickname; to style.

Etymology 3

A variant of nix or nixie.

Noun

nick (plural nicks)

1. (archaic) A nix or nixie (“water spirit”).

References

Further reading

• nick (DNA) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia
• nick (disambiguation) on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Anagrams

• CKIN

German

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /n?k/
• Rhymes: -?k

Verb

nick

1. singular imperative of nicken
2. (colloquial) first-person singular present of nicken

Kashubian

Pronoun

nick

1. nothing

Polish

Etymology

From English nick(name).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ik/

Noun

nick m inan

1. (Internet) nickname (familiar, invented given name)

Declension

Further reading

• nick in Wielki s?ownik j?zyka polskiego, Instytut J?zyka Polskiego PAN
• nick in Polish dictionaries at PWN

Swedish

Pronunciation

Etymology 1

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

Noun

nick c

1. nod (movement of the head to indicate agreement)
2. header (in football)

Declension

Synonyms

• (header):: nickning c
• (nod):: nickning c

Derived terms

• nickedocka
• nicka
• nicka till

Etymology 2

From the English nickname

Noun

nick n

1. (slang) nick, nickname

Declension

English

Etymology

Borrowed into Middle English from Old French trenche.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??nt?/
• Rhymes: -?nt?

Noun

trench (plural trenches)

1. A long, narrow ditch or hole dug in the ground.
2. (military) A narrow excavation as used in warfare, as a cover for besieging or emplaced forces.
3. (archaeology) A pit, usually rectangular with smooth walls and floor, excavated during an archaeological investigation.
4. (informal) A trench coat.
   • 1999, April 24, Xiphias Gladius <[email protected]>, "Re: trenchcoat mafia", ne.general.selected, Usenet:

     I was the first person in my high school to wear a trench and fedora constantly, and Ben was one of the first to wear a black trench.

   • 2007, Nina Garcia, The Little Black Book of Style, HarperCollins, as excerpted in Elle, October, page 138:

     A classic trench can work in any kind of weather and goes well with almost anything.

Derived terms

Related terms

• tranche

Translations

Verb

trench (third-person singular simple present trenches, present participle trenching, simple past and past participle trenched)

1. (usually followed by upon) To invade, especially with regard to the rights or the exclusive authority of another; to encroach.
   • 1640, Ben Jonson, Underwoods, page 68:

     Shee is the Judge, Thou Executioner, Or if thou needs would'st trench upon her power, Thou mightst have yet enjoy'd thy crueltie, With some more thrift, and more varietie.

   • 1832, Isaac Taylor, Saturday Evening

     Does it not seem as if for a creature to challenge to itself a boundless attribute, were to trench upon the prerogative of the divine nature?

   • 1949, Charles Austin Beard, American Government and Politics, page 16:

     He could make what laws he pleased, as long as those laws did not trench upon property rights.

   • 2005, Carl von Clausewitz, J. J. Graham, On War, page 261:

     [O]ur ideas, therefore, must trench upon the province of tactics.

2. (military, infantry) To excavate an elongated pit for protection of soldiers and or equipment, usually perpendicular to the line of sight toward the enemy.

   • Advanc'd upon the field there stood a mound
     Of earth congested, wall'd , and trench'd around

3. (archaeology) To excavate an elongated and often narrow pit.
4. To have direction; to aim or tend.
   • 1612, Francis Bacon, Of Judicature

     the reason and consequence thereof may trench to point of estate

5. To cut; to form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.
6. To cut furrows or ditches in.

7. To dig or cultivate very deeply, usually by digging parallel contiguous trenches in succession, filling each from the next.

French

Etymology

From English.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /t??nt?/

Noun

trench m (plural trenchs)

1. trench coat

Italian

Etymology

From English trench coat.

Noun

trench m (invariable)

1. trench coat