Web: a break in one strand of two-stranded DNA caused by a missing phosphodiester bond 2 : a final critical moment in the nick of time 3 British, informal : prison also : police station … he said to me, "And how was it in the nick? Did they beat you in there at all?" Colin MacInnes 4 British, informal : condition in good nick nick 2 of 2 verb Webin the nick of time only just in time; just at the critical moment. Nick is used here in the sense of ‘the precise moment of an occurrence or an event’. This form of the phrase dates from the mid 17th century, but in the ( very ) nick is recorded from the late 16th century.

Definition of

WebIn the nick of time. with no time to spare. at the last minute. at the last moment. at the last second. by the skin of one's teeth. in the final seconds. just in time. without time to spare. WebJun 13, 2024 · Nick of time is first attested 1640s ( nick of opportunity is 1610s), possibly from an old custom of recording time as it passed by making notches on a tally stick, though nick in the general sense of "critical moment" is older (1570s, Hanmer, who adds "as commonly we say") than the phrase. fis children

In the nick of time - Idioms by The Free Dictionary

WebThe term "in good nick" meaning "in a good condition" came up in conversation and I realised I had no idea where it came from. Searching online seems surprisingly fruitless- there are several roots for nick as it is used in different contexts but none of them to explain why it came to mean "condition.". The closest thing I can see is "in the nick of time" where nick … WebApr 3, 2024 · In the nick of time definition: If you say that something happens in the nick of time , you are emphasizing that it... Meaning, pronunciation, translations and examples Webin the nick of time. At the last possible moment before a deadline or before something begins or ends; just in time. That car moved off the track in the nick of time—another … fischimbiss cuxhaven