The Free Dictionary

904,028,660 visitors served.

Dictionary/
thesaurus

Medical
dictionary

Legal
dictionary

Financial
dictionary

Acronyms

Idioms

Wikipedia
encyclopedia

nip in the bud

Also found in: Dictionary/thesaurus, Encyclopedia, Wikipedia

0.04 sec.

nip something in the bud

to prevent a small problem from getting worse by stopping it soon after it starts. The strike was nipped in the bud by some clever negotiation.

See also: nip

nip something in the bud

to stop something soon after it has begun. If this problem isn't nipped in the bud, it will soon get totally out of hand.

Etymology: based on the literal meaning of nip (= to cut) and bud (= the part of a plant that develops into a flower)

See also: nip

?Page tools

Printer friendly

Idioms browser

Full browser

nine
nine times out of ten
nine/one/seven-day wonder
nineteen/ten to the dozen
nip
nip and tuck
nip in the air

nip in the bud
nitty-gritty
no call for
no dice
no doubt
no doubt about it
no end
no end in sight

Free Tools:	For surfers: Browser extension \| Word of the Day \| Help For webmasters: Free content NEW! \| Linking \| Lookup box \| Double-click lookup \| Partner with us

Disclaimer | Privacy policy | Feedback | Copyright © 2008 Farlex, Inc.

All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional. Terms of Use.