nip at

nip at

1. To give (someone or something) little bites. Their dog kept nipping at my heels whenever I walked through the house. I know some people go crazy for the treatment, but I can't stand the feeling of fish nipping at my feet!
2. To sting (a part of one's body) with cold. The air had just started nipping at our noses by the time we reached the house. There's nothing like settling down in front of a fire with a hot drink after the cold wind has been nipping at your cheeks on a long, satisfying bike ride.
See also: nip
Farlex Dictionary of Idioms.

nip at someone or something

to bite at someone or something. The dog nipped at the visitor, but didn't cause any real harm. A small dog nipped at my heels.
See also: nip
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs.

nip at

v.
1. To grab and pinch or bite: The fish nipped at our feet when we walked in the pond.
2. To bite or sting with the cold: The wind was nipping at our nose.
3. To sip some drink, often alcoholic, in small amounts: They were caught nipping at the whiskey again.
See also: nip
The American Heritage® Dictionary of Phrasal Verbs.
See also:
  • nipping
  • nip on
  • nip on (someone's or something's) heels
  • nip on (someone's or something's) toes
  • hard on (one's)/the heels
  • hard on your heels
  • hard/hot on somebody's heels
  • bring a dog to heel
  • on the heels of
  • on the heels of (someone or something)
References in classic literature
Bullets began to whistle among the branches and nip at the trees.
Red Badge of Courage
This was already communicated to the NIP at the time of allotments in early 2017.
Auto assemblers shifting investments to Punjab
He said that all interns selected in Batch 4 and 5 for NIP at Islamabad, are advised to report at NIP Computer Lab of M/O Youth Affairs, located at 10th floor of Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat.
NIP to invites application for 6th batch from July
The NIP official said that all interns selected in batch-IV for the programme (NIP at Islamabad, are advised to report at NIP computer lab of M/O Youth Affairs, located at 10th floor of Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat.
4th, 5th NIP batches to be contacted shortly
A "pseudo nip," located just before the upper nip at the top of the tower, narrows the space between film layers without actually pinching them closed, and minimizes the amount of air escaping when edge-fold slitting below the nip.
Blown-film line makes debut at new extrusion lab
He said that all interns selected in Batch four and five for NIP at Islamabad, are advised to report at NIP Computer Lab of M/O Youth Affairs, located at 10th floor of Shaheed-e-Millat Secretariat.
NIP completes five batches, 6th batch from July