Definitions for: Pinch


[n] the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar"
[n] a squeeze with the fingers
[n] small sharp biting
[n] a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action; "he never knew what to do in an emergency"
[n] a slight but appreciable addition; "this dish could use a touch of garlic"
[n] an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed
[n] a painful or straitened circumstance; "the pinch of the recession"
[v] 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"
[v] cut the top off; "top trees and bushes"
[v] squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her behind"; "She squeezed the bottle"
[v] make ridges into by pinching together
[v] make off with belongings of others



Webster (1913) Definition: Pinch, v. t.
To seize by way of theft; to steal; also, to catch; to
arrest. [Slang] --Robert Barr.


Pinch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pinched; p. pr. & vb. n.
Pinching.] [F. pincer, probably fr. OD. pitsen to pinch;
akin to G. pfetzen to cut, pinch; perhaps of Celtic origin.
Cf. Piece.]
1. 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. o seize; to grip; to bite; -- said of animals. [Obs.]

He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.
--Chapman.

3. To plait. [Obs.]

Full seemly her wimple ipinched was. --Chaucer.

4. Figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to
starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for money.

Want of room . . . pinching a whole nation. --Sir W.
Raleigh.

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


Pinch, v. i.
1. To act with pressing force; to compress; to squeeze; as,
the shoe pinches.

2. (Hunt.) To take hold; to grip, as a dog does. [Obs.]

3. To spare; to be niggardly; to be covetous. --Gower.

The wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare.
--Franklin.

To pinch at, to find fault with; to take exception to.
[Obs.] --Chaucer.


Pinch, n.
1. A close compression, as with the ends of the fingers, or
with an instrument; a nip.

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

3. Pian; pang. ``Necessary's sharp pinch.'' --Shak.

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

At a pinch, On a pinch, in an emergency; as, he could on
a pinch read a little Latin.

Synonyms: abstract, apprehension, arrest, cabbage, catch, collar, crimp, emergency, exigency, filch, hint, hook, jot, lift, mite, nip, nip, nobble, pilfer, purloin, snarf, sneak, soupcon, speck, squeeze, swipe, taking into custody, tinge, top, touch, tweak, tweet, twinge, twitch, vellicate

See Also: bite, capture, chomp, clip, crisis, crop, cut back, difficulty, dress, flute, fold, fold up, gaining control, grip, harm, hurt, injury, irritate, lop, prune, seizure, small indefinite amount, small indefinite quantity, snip, snuff, squeeze, squeezing, steal, tail, trauma, trim, turn up, tweak

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