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    nick

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    nick
    I
    nick1 /nɪk/ noun
     Date: 1400-1500
     Origin: Perhaps from nock 'small cut in the end of a bow for the string to fit in' (14-20 centuries)
    1. in the nick of time just before it is too late, or just before something bad happens:
        Luckily, help arrived in the nick of time.
    2. in good nick/in bad nick etc British English informal in good condition or in bad condition:
        It’s an old car but it’s still in good nick.
    3. [countable] a very small cut made on the edge or surface of something
    4. the nick British English informal a police station

    II
    nick2 verb [transitive]
    1. British English informal to steal something
       SYN  pinch, steal:
        Someone’s nicked my wallet.
        nick something from somebody/something
        You nicked those pens from my desk.
    2. to make a small cut in the surface or edge of something, usually by accident:
        He nicked his hand on some broken glass.
    3. British English informal if the police nick you, they catch you and charge you with a crime
       SYN  arrest:
        You’re nicked!
         
    THESAURUS
       ▪ steal to illegally take something that belongs to someone else: The thieves stole over £10,000 worth of computer equipment. | Thousands of cars get stolen every year.
       ▪ take to steal something – used when it is clear from the situation that you mean that someone takes something dishonestly: The boys broke into her house and took all her money. | They didn’t take much – just a few items of jewellery.
       ▪ burgle British English, burglarize American English [usually passive] to go into someone’s home and steal things, especially when the owners are not there: Their house was burgled while they were away. | If you leave windows open, you are asking to be burgled.
       ▪ rob to steal money or other things from a bank, shop, or person: The gang were convicted of robbing a bank in Essex. | An elderly woman was robbed at gunpoint in her own home. | He’s serving a sentence for robbing a grocery store.
       ▪ mug to attack someone in the street and steal something from them: People in this area are frightened of being mugged when they go out. | Someone tried to mug me outside the station.
       ▪ nick/pinch British English informal to steal something: Someone’s nicked my wallet! | When I came back, my car had been pinched.
       ▪ embezzle to steal money from the organization you work for, especially money that you are responsible for: Government officials embezzled more than $2.5 million from the department.
       ▪ shoplifting stealing things from a shop by taking them when you think no one is looking: Shoplifting costs stores millions of pounds every year.
       ▪ phishing the activity of dishonestly persuading people to give you their credit card details over the Internet, so that you can steal money from their bank account: Phishing is becoming very popular with computer criminals.