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pinch
[ pinch ]
verb (used with object)
- 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.
verb (used without object)
- 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.
noun
- 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.
pinch
/ pɪntʃ /
verb
- See nipto 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 penniespinch 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
- intrsometimes foll byout (of a vein of ore) to narrow or peter out
- usually foll byoff, out, or back to remove the tips of (buds, shoots, etc) to correct or encourage growth
- informal.tr to steal or take without asking
- informal.tr to arrest
noun
- 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 pinchthe pinch sharp, painful, or extreme stress, need, etc
feeling the pinch of poverty
- See pinch barSee pinch bar
- slang.a robbery
- slang.a police raid or arrest
- at a pinchat a pinch if absolutely necessary
- with a pinch of saltwith a pinch of saltwith a grain of salt without wholly believing; sceptically
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Other Words From
- pincha·ble adjective
- un·pinched adjective
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Word History and Origins
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Word History and Origins
Origin of pinch1
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Idioms and Phrases
- 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. salt 1( def 24 ). Also with a grain of salt.
More idioms and phrases containing pinch
- feel the pinch
- in a pinch
- with a grain (pinch) of salt
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Example Sentences
Turner rarely sits, and Castro, Kieboom and Harrison could all spell him in a pinch.
Ekstra Bladet, Denmark’s biggest news site with 500 million page views per month, reached this pinch point three weeks ago.
It doesn’t filter out sediment, but it’s a good choice when you’re in a pinch or in an area where water may not be the most sanitary.
In a medium pot, combine the celery root and a generous pinch of salt, and add enough water to cover.
The fact that so many of the small businesses that are hurting are women-owned, are minority-owned and are feeling the pinch first.
Pinch it with your fingers until it makes large crumbles and distribute it on the berries (it will not cover them entirely).
“Air refueling and airlift assets were the literal pinch I am describing here,” the official said.
“As much as I want to complain, I have to pinch myself that this is happening,” she said.
He packed a large pinch of the snuff against his bottom gum.
Picture a slightly younger Alice with a pinch more physical humor in an office.
Here are pretty goings on—a pinch of your snuff, Perker, my boy—never were such times, eh?
That first 'pinch' was its own priceless reward, far above present appreciation or future fame.
Both the twain were very bare and scant of the goods of this world, and even then were feeling bitterly the pinch of hunger.
He observed Tommy Bray take a pinch of salt, and then ask for a cup of tea, though he had a basin of bread-and-milk before him.
Furthermore, thar oughter be somebody detailed to shute the women folks when it comes to the last pinch.
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from 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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