noun
General Slang
nick
· noun · prison
British slang for prison or a police station.
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Definitions
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British slang for prison — 'in the nick' means doing time. Equally used for a police station, which is where you usually go first on your way to the other one. Staple of every UK crime drama from The Sweeney to Line of Duty.
“He did three years in the nick for handling stolen gear.”
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As a verb, to nick something is to steal it — or to nick someone is to arrest them. Same word doing both jobs depending on which side of the law you're on.
“Some scrote nicked my bike from outside the shop.”
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3
Condition or state, usually phrased 'in good nick' or 'in bad nick' — how something or someone is holding up.
“The motor's twenty years old but it's in mint nick.”
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nick In A Sentence
He did three years in the nick for handling stolen gear.
Some scrote nicked my bike from outside the shop.
The motor's twenty years old but it's in mint nick.
Origin & Usage
British English, prison/police sense recorded from the 19th century. Possibly from older 'nick' meaning to catch or trap.
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