pinch
8 ENTRIES FOUND:
pinches;
pinched;
pinching
pinches;
pinched;
pinching
Britannica Dictionary definition of PINCH
1
[+ object]
a
:
to squeeze (someone's skin) between your thumb and finger often in a painful way
— often used figuratively
-
My little brother is always trying to pinch me.
-
He pinched her cheeks and told her how cute she was.
-
It was all so beautiful I had to pinch myself [=I had to remind myself that it was real] to be sure I wasn't dreaming.
-
Pinch me. [=I can't believe this is happening]
b
:
to squeeze or press (something) together with your thumb and finger
-
Pinch together the edges of the dough.
-
He pinched the top of his nose to stop the bleeding and leaned forward.
c
:
to remove (part of a plant) by squeezing with your thumb and finger
-
He pinched off/out the top of the shoots.
-
She pinched back the new growth.
2
:
to press against or squeeze (a part of the body) in a painful way
[+ object]
-
These new shoes are pinching my toes.
-
I pinched my fingers in the door.
-
He had a pinched nerve [=a nerve pressed against a bone in the neck in a painful way] in his neck.
[no object]
-
These shoes pinch.
3
[no object]
:
to be very careful about spending money
:
to spend as little money as possible
—
see also pinch pennies (below)
-
By pinching and scraping, she managed to save enough money to buy a new car.
4
[+ object]
chiefly British, informal
:
to steal (something)
-
Someone pinched her purse.
-
The material was pinched [=lifted] from another book.
5
[+ object]
informal + old-fashioned
:
to arrest (someone)
— often + for
-
He was pinched for speeding.
6
[+ object]
chiefly US, informal
a
:
to cause financial problems for (someone or something)
-
Many people are now being/feeling pinched [=squeezed] by high gasoline prices.
-
The recession is pinching the pocketbooks of many people.
b
:
to reduce or limit (something) in a way that causes problems
-
The trade embargo drove up prices and pinched supplies.
pinch pennies
informal
:
to be very careful about spending money
:
to spend as little money as possible
-
He pinched pennies to live on his small paycheck.
2
pinch
/ˈpɪntʃ/
noun
plural
pinches
2
pinch
/ˈpɪntʃ/
noun
plural
pinches
Britannica Dictionary definition of PINCH
[count]
1
:
the act of pinching someone or something
— usually singular
-
He gave me a pinch on the cheek. [=he pinched my cheek]
2
:
the amount of something that can be held between your finger and thumb
— often + of
-
Add a pinch of salt to the soup.
-
He took a pinch of snuff.
feel the pinch
:
to experience the problems caused by not having enough money or by paying higher costs
-
The family began to feel the pinch after the mother lost her job.
-
We are starting to feel the pinch of high fuel costs.
in a pinch
(US) or British at a pinch
:
in a bad situation when help is needed
-
I can help out in a pinch if you need a babysitter.
-
In a pinch, you can substitute another ingredient in the recipe.
-
She can be resourceful in a pinch. [=in an emergency]
take (something) with a pinch of salt
3
pinch
/ˈpɪntʃ/
adjective
3
pinch
/ˈpɪntʃ/
adjective
Britannica Dictionary definition of PINCH
always used before a noun
US, baseball
1
:
used as a substitute for another player
-
a pinch runner [=a player who enters a game as a runner in place of another player]
2
:
made by a pinch hitter
-
A pinch homer won the game.
-
a pinch hit
