Meaning & use
niblick
Last updated
Meaning
nouncountableold-fashioned
An old-fashioned golf club with a steeply angled face, used for short, high shots onto the green, similar to a modern 9-iron.
Grammar: Countable; plural niblicks. Used with a/an or the when referring to a specific club.
Patterns
- use a niblick
- hit a niblick
- a niblick shot
In the 1920s, a golfer would pull out a niblick for a short pitch to the green.
He kept an old niblick in his bag as a lucky charm.
The club maker displayed a niblick alongside other antique golf clubs.
Word forms
| plural | niblicks |
|---|
Common combinations
- antique niblick
- The auction featured an antique niblick from the early 1900s.
- niblick shot
- His niblick shot landed softly on the green.
- set of niblicks
- Collectors prize a full set of niblicks from that era.
Synonyms and how they differ
- 9-iron
- The modern numbered club that does the same job; it is the everyday term today, while niblick is historical.
- wedge
- A modern club with high loft for short shots; it covers a range of lofts, whereas a niblick was one specific old club.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'niblick' correctly?
Choose one answer.
A niblick is an old golf club for short, high shots, so 'short pitch onto the green' fits. A putter, not a niblick, is used for putting (option 0). Options 2 and 3 confuse it with other sports equipment.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “niblick”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.