Definitions for pinch
pɪntʃpinch

Princeton's WordNet(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pinch(noun)

   a painful or straitened circumstance

   "the pinch of the recession"

2. pinch(noun)

   an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed

3. touch, hint, tinge, mite, pinch, jot, speck, soupcon(noun)

   a slight but appreciable amount

   "this dish could use a touch of garlic"

4. emergency, exigency, pinch(noun)

   a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action

   "he never knew what to do in an emergency"

5. nip, pinch(noun)

   a small sharp bite or snip

6. pinch, tweak(noun)

   a squeeze with the fingers

7. apprehension, arrest, catch, collar, pinch, taking into custody(verb)

   the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)

   "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar"

8. pinch, squeeze, twinge, tweet, nip, twitch(verb)

   squeeze tightly between the fingers

   "He pinched her behind"; "She squeezed the bottle"

9. crimp, pinch(verb)

   make ridges into by pinching together

10. pilfer, cabbage, purloin, pinch, abstract, snarf, swipe, hook, sneak, filch, nobble, lift(verb)

    make off with belongings of others

11. top, pinch(verb)

    cut the top off

    "top trees and bushes"

12. pinch, vellicate(verb)

    irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear

    "smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth"; "the pain is as if sharp points pinch your back"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pinch(Noun)

   The action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

2. pinch(Noun)

   A small amount of powder or granules, such that the amount could be held between fingertip and thumb tip.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

3. pinch(Noun)

   An awkward situation of some kind (especially money or social) which is difficult to escape.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

4. pinch(Noun)

   An organic herbal smoke additive.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

5. pinch(Verb)

   To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

6. pinch(Verb)

   To steal, usually of something almost trivial or inconsequential.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

7. pinch(Verb)

   To arrest or capture.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

8. pinch(Verb)

   To cut shoots or buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

9. pinch(Verb)

   To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter.

   Etymology: From pinchen, from * (compare pincer, pincier), from *, a nasalised variant of *, of origin, from Old *, from pikōnan, from beu-. Cognate with pycan, pician, pikka, and picken, pochen. More at pick.

Webster Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pinch(verb)

   to press hard or squeeze between the ends of the fingers, between teeth or claws, or between the jaws of an instrument; to squeeze or compress, as between any two hard bodies

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

2. Pinch(verb)

   o seize; to grip; to bite; -- said of animals

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

3. Pinch(verb)

   to plait

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

4. Pinch(verb)

   figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for money

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

5. Pinch(verb)

   to move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch. See Pinch, n., 4

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

6. Pinch(verb)

   to act with pressing force; to compress; to squeeze; as, the shoe pinches

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

7. Pinch(verb)

   to take hold; to grip, as a dog does

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

8. Pinch(verb)

   to spare; to be niggardly; to be covetous

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

9. Pinch(noun)

   a close compression, as with the ends of the fingers, or with an instrument; a nip

   Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

10. Pinch(noun)

    as much as may be taken between the finger and thumb; any very small quantity; as, a pinch of snuff

    Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

11. Pinch(noun)

    pian; pang

    Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

12. Pinch(noun)

    a lever having a projection at one end, acting as a fulcrum, -- used chiefly to roll heavy wheels, etc. Called also pinch bar

    Etymology: [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch; akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin. Cf. Piece.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pinch

   A pinch is the compression of an electrically conducting filament by magnetic forces. The conductor is usually a plasma, but could also be a solid or liquid metal. In a z-pinch, the current is axial and the magnetic field azimuthal; in a theta-pinch, the current is azimuthal and the magnetic field is axial. The phenomenon may also be referred to as a "Bennett pinch", "electromagnetic pinch", "magnetic pinch", "pinch effect" or "plasma pinch". Pinches occur naturally in electrical discharges such as lightning bolts, the aurora, current sheets, and solar flares. They are also produced in the laboratory, primarily for research into fusion power.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pinch

   pinsh, v.t. to grip hard: to squeeze between two hard or firm substances: to squeeze the flesh so as to give pain: to nip: to distress: to gripe.—v.i. to act with force: to bear or press hard: to live sparingly.—n. a close compression with the fingers: what can be taken up between the finger and thumb: an iron bar used as a lever for lifting weights, rolling wheels, &c.: a gripe: distress: oppression.—n. Pinch′commons, a niggard, a miser.—adj. Pinched, having the appearance of being tightly squeezed: hard pressed by want or cold: narrowed in size.—ns. Pinch′er, one who, or that which, pinches; Pinch′ers, Pin′cers, an instrument for gripping anything firmly, esp. for drawing out nails, &c.; Pinch′fist, Pinch′gut Pinch′penny, a niggard.—adv. Pinch′ingly, in a pinching manner.—At a pinch, in a case of necessity; Know where the shoe pinches, to know where the cause of trouble or difficulty is. [O. Fr. pincer; prob. Teut., cf. Dut. pitsen, to pinch.]

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pinch

   Song lyrics by pinch -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by pinch on the Lyrics.com website.

How to pronounce pinch?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say pinch in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pinch in Chaldean Numerology is: 4

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pinch in Pythagorean Numerology is: 5

Examples of pinch in a Sentence

1. Jair Bolsonaro:

   We took money away from the NGOs [ non-governmental organizations ], they are now feeling the pinch from the lack of funding. So, maybe the NGO types are conducting these criminal acts in order to generate negative attention against me and against the Brazilian government.

2. Matt Stajan:

   Things happen so quickly out there and even when I go home, I'll probably blink my eyes and still have to pinch myself to realize what happened, that's why we play the games. This is a special moment.

3. Matshona Dhliwayo:

   A pinch from a friend hurts more than a blow from an enemy.

4. Jean Albert:

   She’s an inspiration, we kind of have to pinch ourselves to remember that she is the age she is and she stays as active as she does.

5. Grant Kimberley:

   So far, farmers don't feel the pinch directly. But if this lingers on, and we still have billions of bushels in extra supply, this could become more of a 2019 story.

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