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.

2. pinch(Noun)

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

3. pinch(Noun)

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

4. pinch(Noun)

   An organic herbal smoke additive.

5. pinch(Verb)

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

6. pinch(Verb)

   To steal, usually of something almost trivial or inconsequential.

7. pinch(Verb)

   To arrest or capture.

8. pinch(Verb)

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

9. pinch(Verb)

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

Origin: 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

2. Pinch(verb)

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

3. Pinch(verb)

   to plait

4. Pinch(verb)

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

5. Pinch(verb)

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

6. Pinch(verb)

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

7. Pinch(verb)

   to take hold; to grip, as a dog does

8. Pinch(verb)

   to spare; to be niggardly; to be covetous

9. Pinch(noun)

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

10. Pinch(noun)

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

11. Pinch(noun)

    pian; pang

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

Origin: [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. Pete Kennedy:

   When in doubt, use a pinch of salt

2. Chef Richard Black:

   When in doubt -- add a pinch of salt.

3. Alice Bowman:

   I have to pinch myself, look what we accomplished.

4. Matshona Dhliwayo:

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

5. Katharine McPhee:

   … I just pinch myself when I get to spend time with him on a personal level.

Images & Illustrations of pinch

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