Search results
At the last moment, as in The police arrived in the nick of time , or He got there just in time for dinner . The first term began life as in the nick and dates from the 1500s, when nick meant “the critical moment” (a meaning now obsolete).
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 moment and the train would have smashed into it. You got here in the nick of time—we're just about to start the show. See also: nick, of, time.
6 days ago · in the nick of time. phrase. If you say that something happens in the nick of time, you are emphasizing that it happens at the last possible moment. [emphasis] Seems we got here just in the nick of time. News of interest cuts came in the nick of time for borrowers. See full dictionary entry for nick.
We use the common phrase “in the nick of time” or “just in the nick of time” to describe something that happened at the last possible moment or just in time to avoid some kind of disaster or a negative outcome. Like if you dropped the carton of milk, but someone else grabbed it before it hit the floor. You’d probably say something like, “Woah!
Doing something in the nick of time means you almost missed the opportunity: you might catch your dropped phone in the nick of time, just before it falls in a lake, or fix an embarrassing mistake in your school newspaper in the nick of time, right before it's published online.
Also, just in time. At the last moment, as in The police arrived in the nick of time, or He got there just in time for dinner. The first term began life as in the nick and dates from the 1500s, when nick meant “the critical moment” (a meaning now obsolete).
idiom. Add to word list. at the last possible moment: She fell in the river and was rescued in the nick of time. (Definition of (just) in the nick of time from the Cambridge Academic Content Dictionary © Cambridge University Press) Browse. (just) a crack phrase. (just) around the corner idiom. (just) between you and me idiom. (just) in case phrase.
