Nosh
Etymology
From Yiddish "nashn," "to nibble or eat on the sly," from German "naschen," "to snack, especially on sweets." The word carries its old flavor of stealthy, pleasurable nibbling — eating between meals, a little furtively. It works as both verb ("to nosh") and noun ("a nosh"), and entered American English through Jewish delis and kitchens.
verb · /NOSH/
To eat a snack or nibble, often casually and between meals.
What it names
A relaxed word for grazing — light, informal eating that is not a proper meal, plus (as a noun) the food itself.
Example
We stood in the kitchen noshing on leftover appetizers until well past midnight.
Related idea
To graze emphasizes eating small amounts continuously over time; to nosh emphasizes the casual, pleasurable, snack-like quality of it.
See also