nibbling

transitive verb nibbled, nibbling

1. to eat (food) with quick bites, taking only a small amount at a time, as a mouse does
2. to bite at with small, gentle bites

Origin: LME nebyllen, prob. akin to MLowG nibbelen: for IE base see nip

intransitive verb

1. to take small, cautious, or gentle bites: usually with at
2. to show little interest in food by taking only small bites intermittently: usually with at

noun

1. a small bite, morsel, or quantity
2. the act or an instance of nibbling