grignoter

Senses

1. 1.

   to nibble

   to eat small amounts of food in small bites or pieces

2. 2.

   to snack

   to eat small quantities of food between meals

3. 3.

   to gnaw (at)

   to bite or wear away gradually, especially for rodents or insects

4. 4.

   to chip away (at)

   to gradually erode or reduce something, especially abstractly (territory, profits, etc.)

Examples

• "Les enfants grignotent des biscuits l'après-midi."

  The children snack on biscuits in the afternoon.

• "Les souris ont grignoté le bois de la charpente."

  The mice gnawed at the wooden beams.

• "L'inflation grignote les salaires des travailleurs."

  Inflation chips away at workers' wages.

Usage

Common in everyday contexts for eating between meals. Also used figuratively to describe gradual erosion or decline (profits, market share, territory). The noun grignotis is sometimes used for snacks, though collation is more standard. Register is neutral to informal.