the act of pinching; a nip or squeeze:She gave him a little pinch on the cheek.
as much of something as can be taken up between the finger and thumb:a pinch of salt for flavor.
Slang Terms
a raid or arrest.
a theft.
Idioms
feel the pinch, to undergo or live under stress caused by poverty:Most families began to feel the pinch during the recession when their unemployment insurance ran out.
in a pinch, if absolutely necessary, as in an emergency:In a pinch we could cut our meals down to two a day.
Idiomspinch pennies, to spend very little money and save whatever one can.
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.
Botany[Hort.]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 fol. by out, off, or back).
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.
Slang Terms
to steal.
to arrest.
to roll or slide (a heavy object) with leverage from a pinch bar.
Nautical, Naval Termsto sail (a ship) so close to the wind that the sails shake slightly and the speed is reduced.
British Terms, Sport[Horse Racing, Brit.]to press (a horse) to the point of exhaustion.
v.i.
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.
Mining(of a vein of ore or the like)
to diminish.
to diminish to nothing (sometimes fol. by out).
Nautical, Naval Termsto trim a sail too flat when sailing to windward.
Idiomspinch 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.
n.
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, esp. an emergency:A friend is someone who will stand by you in a pinch.
BuildingSee pinch bar.
Slang Termsa raid or an arrest.
Slang Termsa theft.
Idiomswith a pinch of salt. See grain (def. 22).
Vulgar Latin *pīnctiāre, variant of *pūnctiāre to prick (compare pique1)
Anglo-French *pinchier (equivalent. to Old French pincier, Spanish pinchar)
to press (something, esp flesh) tightly between two surfaces, esp between a finger and the thumb Seenip1
to confine, squeeze, or painfully press (toes, fingers, etc) because of lack of space: these shoes pinch
(transitive) to cause stinging pain to: the cold pinched his face
(transitive) to make thin or drawn-looking, as from grief, lack of food, etc
(usually followed by on) to provide (oneself or another person) with meagre allowances, amounts, etc
pinch pennies ⇒ to live frugally because of meanness or to economize
usually followed byoff, out, or back: to remove the tips of (buds, shoots, etc) to correct or encourage growth
(transitive) informalto steal or take without asking
(transitive) informalto arrest
n
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
at a pinch ⇒ if absolutely necessary
Etymology: 16th Century: probably from Old Norman French pinchier (unattested); related to Old French pincier to pinch; compare Late Latin punctiāre to prick
'to pinch' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):