pinch
to squeeze or compress between the finger and thumb, the teeth, the jaws of an instrument, or the like.
to constrict or squeeze painfully, as a tight shoe does.
to cramp within narrow bounds or quarters: The crowd pinched him into a corner.
to render (the face, body, etc.) unnaturally constricted or drawn, as pain or distress does: Years of hardship had pinched her countenance beyond recognition.
to affect with sharp discomfort or distress, as cold, hunger, or need does.
to straiten in means or circumstances: The depression pinched them.
to stint (a person, family, etc.) in allowance of money, food, or the like: They were severely pinched by the drought.
to hamper or inconvenience by the lack of something specified: The builders were pinched by the shortage of good lumber.
to stint the supply or amount of (a thing).
to put a pinch or small quantity of (a powder, spice, etc.) into something.
to roll or slide (a heavy object) with leverage from a pinch bar.
Slang.
to steal.
to arrest.
Digital Technology. to move two or more fingers toward or away from each other on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command (often followed by in or out): Zoom in by pinching the screen.
Horticulture. to remove or shorten (buds or shoots) in order to produce a certain shape of the plant, improve the quality of the bloom or fruit, or increase the development of buds (often followed by out, off, or back).
Nautical. to sail (a ship) so close into the wind that the sails shake slightly and the speed is reduced.
Horse Racing, British. to press (a horse) to the point of exhaustion.
to exert a sharp or painful constricting force: This shoe pinches.
to cause sharp discomfort or distress: Their stomachs were pinched with hunger.
to economize unduly; stint oneself: They pinched and scraped for years to save money for a car.
Digital Technology. to move the fingers toward or away from each other on a touchscreen (often followed by in or out): Pinching in will zoom in, and pinching out will zoom out.
Mining. (of a vein of ore or the like)
to diminish.
to diminish to nothing (sometimes followed by out).
Nautical. to trim a sail too flat when sailing to windward.
the act of pinching; nip; squeeze.
as much of anything as can be taken up between the finger and thumb: a pinch of salt.
a very small quantity of anything: a pinch of pungent wit.
sharp or painful stress, as of hunger, need, or any trying circumstances: the pinch of conscience; to feel the pinch of poverty.
a situation or time of special stress, especially an emergency: A friend is someone who will stand by you in a pinch.
Slang. a raid or an arrest.
Slang. a theft.
Digital Technology. an act or instance of pinching a touchscreen.
Idioms about pinch
pinch pennies, to stint on or be frugal or economical with expenditures; economize: I'll have to pinch pennies if I'm going to get through school.
with a pinch of salt. salt1 (def. 24). : Also with a grain of salt .
Origin of pinch
1Other words from pinch
- pinch·a·ble, adjective
- un·pinched, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use pinch in a sentence
Before the move to Fresno, players could drive from Syracuse to Washington in a pinch.
Nationals have a new Class AAA affiliate in Rochester Red Wings | Jesse Dougherty | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostThe Washingtons regularly rotated people back to Virginia or, in a pinch, over the border to New Jersey — a slave state — to reset their time in the capital before six months were up.
George Washington’s 1795 Thanksgiving celebrated liberty. But the chef behind the feast had none. | Ramin Ganeshram | November 19, 2020 | Washington PostDrizzle with olive oil and a pinch of salt, and roast for 30 minutes or until golden and soft.
Ease into Winter with Backcountry-Approved Comfort Food | Christina Bernstein | November 12, 2020 | Outside OnlineEach vendor’s particular snail broth recipe is strictly guarded, with a pinch of this or that to set each seller apart.
If you prefer spicy kick, add a pinch more cayenne or mince a seeded jalapeño and stir it into the mixture before baking.
This sheet-pan cornbread dressing has even more of the crispy, crunchy bits we love | Ann Maloney | November 11, 2020 | Washington Post
Her novels typically evoke this pinched sense of an era—raw individuals in raw times.
Sarah Waters: Queen of the Tortured Lesbian Romance | Tim Teeman | September 30, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAt one Broadway premiere I was sent to cover, I interviewed Elaine Stritch, who called me adorable and then pinched my butt.
Drake sold all 187 head of cattle two years ago, pinched by regulated milk prices and the rising costs of independent farming.
How the Kings of Fracking Double-Crossed Their Way to Riches | ProPublica | March 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThen, he confessed he feared his incontinence, caused by an untreated pinched nerve in his back, would keep him from finding love.
The Party Monster Lives For the Applause: Michael Alig’s Second Act | Caitlin Dickson | February 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTIn an era in which discretionary spending is pinched, most retailers would kill to have this kind of growth.
The waist, now less pinched in at the middle, looked longer without being really so.
Antonio Stradivari | Horace William PetherickAs the tube is removed, it should be pinched between the fingers so as to save any fluid that may be in it.
A Manual of Clinical Diagnosis | James Campbell ToddBuchan's force, however, was continuously obtaining additions, while Bruce was getting pinched with hunger.
King Robert the Bruce | A. F. Murison"Well, I think——" commenced Jack, and then broke off short, and at the same time pinched Fred's arm.
The Mystery at Putnam Hall | Arthur M. WinfieldHer face was drawn and pinched, her sweet blue eyes haggard and unnatural.
The Awakening and Selected Short Stories | Kate Chopin
British Dictionary definitions for pinch
/ (pɪntʃ) /
to press (something, esp flesh) tightly between two surfaces, esp between a finger and the thumb: See nip 1
to confine, squeeze, or painfully press (toes, fingers, etc) because of lack of space: these shoes pinch
(tr) to cause stinging pain to: the cold pinched his face
(tr) to make thin or drawn-looking, as from grief, lack of food, etc
(usually foll by on) to provide (oneself or another person) with meagre allowances, amounts, etc
pinch pennies to live frugally because of meanness or to economize
(tr) nautical to sail (a sailing vessel) so close to the wind that her sails begin to luff and she loses way
(intr sometimes foll by out) (of a vein of ore) to narrow or peter out
(usually foll by off, out, or back) to remove the tips of (buds, shoots, etc) to correct or encourage growth
(tr) informal to steal or take without asking
(tr) informal to arrest
a squeeze or sustained nip
the quantity of a substance, such as salt, that can be taken between a thumb and finger
a very small quantity
a critical situation; predicament; emergency: if it comes to the pinch we'll have to manage
the pinch sharp, painful, or extreme stress, need, etc: feeling the pinch of poverty
See pinch bar
slang a robbery
slang a police raid or arrest
at a pinch if absolutely necessary
with a pinch of salt or with a grain of salt without wholly believing; sceptically
Origin of pinch
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pinch
In addition to the idioms beginning with pinch
- pinch hitter
- pinch pennies
also see:
- feel the pinch
- in a pinch
- with a grain (pinch) of salt
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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