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¹pinch

verb \ˈpinch\

: to squeeze (someone's skin) between your thumb and finger often in a painful way

: to squeeze or press (something) together with your thumb and finger

: to remove (part of a plant) by squeezing with your thumb and finger

Full Definition of PINCH

transitive verb

a : to squeeze between the finger and thumb or between the jaws of an instrument

b : to prune the tip of (a plant or shoot) usually to induce branching

c : to squeeze or compress painfully

d : to cause physical or mental pain to

e (1) : to cause to appear thin, haggard, or shrunken (2) : to cause to shrivel or wither

a : to subject to strict economy or want : straiten

b : to restrain or limit narrowly : constrict

a : steal

b : arrest

: to sail too close to the wind

intransitive verb

: compress, squeeze

: to be miserly or closefisted

: to press painfully

: narrow, taper <the road pinched down to a trail — Cecelia Holland>

— pinch pennies

: to practice strict economy

See pinch defined for English-language learners

See pinch defined for kids

Origin of PINCH

Middle English, from Anglo-French *pincher, pincer

First Known Use: 14th century

Related to PINCH

Synonyms: nip

Antonyms: discharge

Rhymes with PINCH

chinch, cinch, clinch, finch, flinch, grinch, inch, lynch, Minch, squinch, winch

²pinch

noun

: the act of pinching someone or something

: the amount of something that can be held between your finger and thumb

Full Definition of PINCH

a : a critical juncture : emergency

b (1) : pressure, stress (2) : hardship, privation

c : deficit

a : an act of pinching : squeeze

b : as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb <a pinch of snuff>

c : a very small amount

: a marked thinning of a vein or bed

a : theft

b : a police raid; also : arrest

See pinch defined for English-language learners

First Known Use of PINCH

15th century

Related to PINCH

Synonyms: grab, heist, theft, rip-off, snatching, swiping

Antonyms: discharge

Synonym Discussion of PINCH

juncture, exigency, emergency, contingency, pinch, straits, crisis mean a critical or crucial time or state of affairs. juncture stresses the significant concurrence or convergence of events <an important juncture in our country's history>. exigency stresses the pressure of restrictions or urgency of demands created by a special situation <provide for exigencies>. emergency applies to a sudden unforeseen situation requiring prompt action to avoid disaster <the presence of mind needed to deal with emergencies>. contingency implies an emergency or exigency that is regarded as possible but uncertain of occurrence <contingency plans>. pinch implies urgency or pressure for action to a less intense degree than exigency or emergency <come through in a pinch>. straits applies to a troublesome situation from which escape is extremely difficult <in dire straits>. crisis applies to a juncture whose outcome will make a decisive difference <a crisis of confidence>.