English Explanatory Dictionary

pinch

English dictionary entry

Meanings

verb
  1. To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
  2. To squeeze between the thumb and forefinger.
  3. To squeeze between two objects.
  4. Of clothing, to be uncomfortably tight in specific spots.
  5. To steal, usually something inconsequential.
  6. To arrest or capture.
  7. To cut shoots or buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.
  8. To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter.
  9. To take hold; to grip, as a dog does.
  10. To be stingy or covetous; to live sparingly.
  11. To seize; to grip; to bite.
  12. To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.
noun
  1. The action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
  2. A close compression of anything with the fingers.
  3. A small amount of powder or granules, such that the amount could be held between fingertip and thumb tip.
  4. An awkward situation of some kind (especially money or social) which is difficult to escape.
  5. A metal bar used as a lever for lifting weights, rolling wheels, etc.
  6. An organic herbal smoke additive.
  7. A magnetic compression of an electrically conducting filament.
  8. The narrow part connecting the two bulbs of an hourglass.
  9. An arrest.
  10. A steep incline; a very steep section of road.

Pronunciation

/pɪnt͡ʃ/ en-us-pinch.ogg

Word forms

pinch pinches pinching pinched

Etymology

From Middle English pinchen, from Old Northern French *pinchier (compare Old French pincier, pincer (“to pinch”)), a word of uncertain origin, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pinciāre (“to puncture, pinch”), from a merger of *punctiāre (“to puncture, sting”), from Latin punctiō (“a puncture, prick”) and *piccāre (“to strike, sting”), from Frankish *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, prick”). More at point, pick and pitch.

Synonyms

crib purloin steal abduct abstract appropriate bag bandit bash and grab bone boost burgle burglarize borrow cheat chore commandeer confiscate convert cop cozen embezzle filch fleece flog gaffle gilravage half-inch heave heist jack kidnap knock off kipe kyper liberate lift loot make off with mill misappropriate mooch moonlight requisition nick nip own peculate pickpocket pilfer pinch pillage pirate plunder poach pocket prig raid ransack rape relieve

Derived words

apinch bepinch penny-pinch pinchability pinchable pinch a loaf pinch at pinch-belly vengeance pinchcock pincher pinch-eyed pinchfist pinchfisted pinch-me-round pinch-nose glasses pinch off pinch one off pinch out pinch pennies pinchpenny squinch topinch unpinch at a pinch Bennett pinch cock-and-pinch feel the pinch in a pinch Jack at a pinch nanopinch on a pinch pinch and a punch for the first of the month pinch bar pinchbar pinch-belly pinch cake pinch-commons pinch effect pinch force pinch grafting pinch-gut pinch-hit pinch hit pinch hitter pinch-hitter pinchlike pinch of salt pinch of the game pinch point pinch pot pinch roller pinch runner pinchy Queens Pinch take with a pinch of salt theta pinch velar pinch Yellow Pinch zeta pinch Z-pinch
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