つまみ食い

摘まみ食い、 摘み食い、 撮み食い

Reading

Kana: つまみぐい

Romaji: tsumamigui

Definitions

noun

vs

1

eating with one's fingers

2

snitching food; snatched food; secret eating; food snatched and eaten without the meal starting

3

embezzlement; misappropriation; exploiting something

4

flirting

Kanji

食

Readings: ショク、 ジキ、 く.う、 く.らう、 た.べる、 は.む

Meanings: eat, food

摘

Readings: テキ、 つ.む

Meanings: pinch, pick, pluck, trim, clip, summarize

撮

Readings: サツ、 と.る、 つま.む、 -ど.り

Meanings: snapshot, take pictures

Example Sentences

彼(かれ)はケーキをつまみ食(ぐ)いするのを見(み)られた。

➥He was seen to eat a piece of cake secretly.

つまみ食(ぐ)いと言(い)うか、完食(かんしょく)していたように見(み)えたが。

➥You say you had a nibble, it looked to me like you'd polished it off.