nosh
UK[nɒʃ]US[nɑːʃ]
v
to eat food, especially between meals or in a casual way
n
food or a small meal, especially one eaten casually
Etymology
the word "nosh" entered english in the late 1950s and 1960s as a borrowing from yiddish "nashn," which means "to nibble" or "to eat a snack." the yiddish term itself has roots in middle high german "naschen," carrying the same sense of eating sweets or tidbits. this germanic verb is related to the modern german "naschen." the word's journey into english slang, particularly through american jewish communities, exemplifies how culinary and domestic vocabulary often travels with cultural exchange. its modern meaning retains the core idea of casual, often pleasurable, eating.
Analysis
this word is a simplex loanword. it does not segment into meaningful morphemes within modern english spelling.
Examples
i'm going to nosh on some chips while i watch the movie.
they put out a lovely nosh of cheeses and cold meats at the party.
we stopped for a quick nosh before continuing the drive.