nibble

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
nibble/ˈnɪbl/

▶verb

• 1 take small bites out of.

  ■ eat often in small amounts.

  ■ gently bite at.

• 2 gradually erode.

• 3 show cautious interest in a project.

▶noun

• 1 an act of nibbling.

• 2 a small piece of food bitten off.

  ■ (nibbles) informal small savoury snacks.

– derivatives
nibbler noun.

– origin C15: prob. of Low Ger. or Du. origin.