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| pinch [ pinch ] |
verb (past and past participle pinched, present participle pinch·ing, 3rd person present singular pinch·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. transitive and intransitive verb grip something between finger and thumb: to grip or squeeze something tightly between finger and thumb or between two hard objects or edges
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2. transitive and intransitive verb be too tight and painful: to painfully constrict or squeeze a part of the body
  These shoes are pinching my feet.
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3. transitive verb wither something: to make somebody or something become shrunken or withered, especially through harsh conditions such as cold or hunger
a face pinched with grief and pain
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4. transitive verb impose financial hardship on somebody: to put somebody in financial difficulty
Unexpected expenses have really pinched me this month.
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5. transitive and intransitive verb steal something: to steal something or take something without permission
(
informal
)
Who's pinched my pen?
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6. transitive verb arrest somebody: to arrest somebody for wrongdoing
(
informal
)
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7. transitive verb gardening remove shoots to encourage bushy growth: to remove new shoots and buds from a plant to make it become more bushy
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8. transitive verb sailing sail vessel into wind: to sail a sailing vessel too close to the wind, so that it loses wind from its sails
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9. intransitive verb mineral extract narrow and disappear: to become gradually narrower, eventually disappearing entirely
(
refers to a vein of ore
)
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noun (plural pinch·es) |
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| Definition: |
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1. painful squeeze: a painful squeeze or nip, especially with the thumb and finger
a pinch on the arm
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2. very small quantity: a very small amount of a substance, especially the amount held between the thumb and first finger
Add a pinch of salt.
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3. crime
(
informal
)
Same as robbery
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4. arrest of somebody: an arrest made by the police
(
informal
)
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5. critical time: an emergency or critical situation
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| [13th century. Via assumed Anglo-Norman pincher, variant of Old French pincier< assumed Vulgar Latin pinctiare "to prick"] |
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feel the pinch to have financial problems
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in a pinch if absolutely necessary, although preferably not
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