Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

nickel-and-dime

nickel-and-dime , transitive verb

1.
To harass or annoy with petty demands or for trivial reasons;
to insist on minor concessions in a negotiation.
2.
To weaken or impair gradually or by small steps; as, to be nickel-and-dimed into bankruptcy by the operating overhead. [informal]

nickel-and-dime , adjective

1.
Trivial; unimportant; petty; as, nickel-and-dime criticisms. [informal]
2.
Involving only small amounts of money; small-time; as, a nickel-and-dime business operation. [informal]