nim

¹

[ nim ]

verb (used with or without object)

, Archaic.

, nimmed, nim·ming.

1. to steal or pilfer.

nim

²

[ nim ]

noun

1. a game in which two players alternate in drawing counters, pennies, or the like, from a set of 12 arranged in three rows of 3, 4, and 5 counters, respectively, the object being to draw the last counter, or, sometimes, to avoid drawing it.

nim

/ nɪm /

noun

1. a game in which two players alternately remove one or more small items, such as matchsticks, from one of several rows or piles, the object being to take (or avoid taking) the last item remaining on the table

Word History and Origins

Origin of nim¹

before 900; Middle English nimen, Old English niman, cognate with German nehmen, Old Norse nema, Gothic niman to take; numb

Origin of nim²

First recorded in 1900–05; special use of nim ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of nim¹

C20: perhaps from archaic nim to take, from Old English niman

Example Sentences

The minigames within Lorelei almost included Nim, an ancient combinatorial game that appears in “Last Year at Marienbad.”

From New York Times

In the film, memories intrude and elude; interpersonal dynamics shift unpredictably, like Nim’s matchsticks.

From New York Times

The weekend forecast and “sheer size and scope” of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters, said Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management.

From Seattle Times

“Damage assessment … is our next priority, after life safety and stopping the growth of these fires,” Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said Wednesday, adding that residents should remain alert as conditions favoring fire growth could return later this week.

From Seattle Times

Nim Kidd, chief of the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said the weekend forecast and “sheer size and scope” of the blaze are the biggest challenges for firefighters.

From Seattle Times