Definition

1. Noun:

   • A small, tight squeeze with the fingers: The act of gripping something, especially skin, between the thumb and a finger.
   • A very small amount: A tiny quantity of something, such as a spice, that can be held between the thumb and finger.
   • A difficult or painful situation: A moment of hardship, stress, or need.
   • The act of stealing something (slang): Theft.
   • The act of arresting someone (slang): An arrest by the police.

2. Verb:

   • To squeeze tightly between the thumb and a finger: To grip something, often causing slight pain.
   • To cause pain by being too tight: To hurt or constrict a part of the body by being too small or tight.
   • To steal something (slang): To take something without permission.
   • To arrest someone (slang): For the police to take someone into custody.
   • To be very careful with money: To be extremely frugal or stingy.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • She gave his arm a playful pinch. (She squeezed his arm with her fingers.)
  • Add a pinch of salt to the soup. (Add a very small amount of salt.)
  • Many families felt the pinch during the economic crisis. (Many families experienced hardship.)
  • The thief was caught in the pinch. (The thief was caught in the act of stealing/arrest.)

• Verb:

  • He pinched his sister to get her attention. (He squeezed her skin with his fingers.)
  • These new shoes pinch my toes. (These shoes are too tight and hurt my toes.)
  • Someone pinched my wallet on the bus! (Someone stole my wallet.)
  • The officer pinched the suspect for vandalism. (The officer arrested the suspect.)

Advanced Usage

• "Feel the pinch": To experience hardship or financial difficulty.
  • After losing his job, he really started to feel the pinch.
• "At a pinch" / "In a pinch": If absolutely necessary; in an emergency or difficult situation.
  • We don't have the right tool, but this knife will do at a pinch.
• "Pinch pennies": To be extremely careful with money; to be frugal.
  • They had to pinch pennies to save for their trip.

Variants and Related Words

• Pinched (adj): Appearing thin or tense, often due to cold, hunger, or stress.
  • His face looked pinched and pale from the cold.
• Pincher (n): A person who pinches or is stingy (often used in compounds like "penny-pincher").
• Pinch-hit (v): In baseball, to bat in place of another player; more generally, to act as a substitute in an emergency.
  • Can you pinch-hit for me at the meeting tomorrow?

Synonyms

• Noun (squeeze): Nip, tweak.
• Noun (small amount): Dash, smidgen, soupçon.
• Verb (squeeze): Squeeze, nip, tweak.
• Verb (steal): Swipe, filch, pilfer (all informal).

Related Phrasal Verbs

• Pinch off: To remove something by pinching.
  • He pinched off the dead leaves from the plant.
• Pinch out: Similar to "pinch off," often used in gardening to remove new growth to encourage bushier plants.
  • Remember to pinch out the tips of the seedlings.

Related Idioms

• "Where the shoe pinches": The source of the real problem or difficulty.
  • The low salary is where the shoe pinches for most employees.
• "Take something with a pinch of salt": To be skeptical about the truth or accuracy of something.
  • You should take his stories with a pinch of salt; he loves to exaggerate.

Noun

1. the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal)
   • the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar
2. a squeeze with the fingers
3. a small sharp bite or snip
4. a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action
   • he never knew what to do in an emergency
5. a slight but appreciable amount
   • this dish could use a touch of garlic
6. an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed
7. a painful or straitened circumstance
   • the pinch of the recession

Verb

1. 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
2. cut the top off
   • top trees and bushes
3. make off with belongings of others
4. make ridges into by pinching together
5. squeeze tightly between the fingers
   • He pinched her behind
   • She squeezed the bottle