different between alert vs nippy

English

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /??l??t/
• (General American) enPR: ?-lûrt?, IPA^(key): /??l?t/
• Rhymes: -??(?)t
• Hyphenation: a?lert

Etymology 1

From French alerte (“alert”), from the phrase à l'erte (“on the watch”), from Italian all'erta (“to the height”), from erta (“lookout, tower”).

Adjective

alert (comparative more alert, superlative most alert)

2. Attentive; awake; on guard.
3. (obsolete) brisk; nimble; moving with celerity.

   • I saw an alert young fellow that cocked his hat upon a friend of his who entered just at the same time with myself

Translations

Noun

alert (plural alerts)

1. An alarm.
2. A notification of higher importance than an advisory.
3. (military) A state of readiness for potential combat.

   an airborne alert; ground alert

Translations

Etymology 2

Formed within English by conversion, from alert (adj). Compare French alerter.

Verb

alert (third-person singular simple present alerts, present participle alerting, simple past and past participle alerted)

1. To give warning to.

Translations

References

Anagrams

• alter, alter-, altre, artel, later, ratel, taler, telar

Dutch

Etymology

Borrowed from French alerte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a??l?rt/
• Hyphenation: alert
• Rhymes: -?rt

Adjective

alert (comparative alerter, superlative alertst)

1. alert

Inflection

Derived terms

• alertheid

Anagrams

• later, ratel

German

Etymology

From French alerte.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [a?l??t]

Adjective

alert (comparative alerter, superlative am alertesten)

1. alert

Declension

Further reading

• “alert” in Duden online

Romanian

Etymology

From French alerte

Adjective

alert m or n (feminine singular alert?, masculine plural aler?i, feminine and neuter plural alerte)

1. wide-awake

Declension

Swedish

Etymology

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /a?læ?/
• Rhymes: -æ??

Adjective

alert (comparative alertare, superlative alertast)

1. alert

Declension

Anagrams

• artel, later, letar, realt

English

Etymology

nip +? -y

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?n?pi/
• Rhymes: -?pi

Adjective

nippy (comparative nippier, superlative nippiest)

1. (Britain, informal) fast; speedy
   • c. 2000, Melanie Allen, Customer Relations Management (page 6)

     A Rolls Royce will not do if you need an economical, nippy car that is easy to park.

2. (informal) Of the weather, rather cold.

3. Inclined to nip; bitey.
   • 1995, Nancy Baer, Choosing a Dog: A Guide to Picking the Perfect Breed (page 161)

     Spoiling may create a pushy, nippy dog that lacks confidence.

4. (Scotland, informal) annoying; irritating
5. (Scotland) sharp in taste
6. (Scotland) curt
7. (Scotland) parsimonious

Translations