- to squeeze or compress between the finger and thumb, the teeth, the jaws of an instrument, or the like.
- to constrict or squeeze painfully, as a tight shoe does.
- to cramp within narrow bounds or quarters: The crowd pinched him into a corner.
- to render (the face, body, etc.) unnaturally constricted or drawn, as pain or distress does: Years of hardship had pinched her countenance beyond recognition.
- to affect with sharp discomfort or distress, as cold, hunger, or need does.
- to straiten in means or circumstances: The depression pinched them.
- to stint (a person, family, etc.) in allowance of money, food, or the like: They were severely pinched by the drought.
- to hamper or inconvenience by the lack of something specified: The builders were pinched by the shortage of good lumber.
- to stint the supply or amount of (a thing).
- to put a pinch or small quantity of (a powder, spice, etc.) into something.
- to roll or slide (a heavy object) with leverage from a pinch bar.
- Slang.
- to steal.
- to arrest.
- to move two or more fingers toward or away from each other on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command (often followed by in or out): Zoom in by pinching the screen.
- to remove or shorten (buds or shoots) in order to produce a certain shape of the plant, improve the quality of the bloom or fruit, or increase the development of buds (often followed by out, off, or back).
- to sail (a ship) so close into the wind that the sails shake slightly and the speed is reduced.
- to press (a horse) to the point of exhaustion.
- to exert a sharp or painful constricting force: This shoe pinches.
- to cause sharp discomfort or distress: Their stomachs were pinched with hunger.
- to economize unduly; stint oneself: They pinched and scraped for years to save money for a car.
- to move the fingers toward or away from each other on a touchscreen (often followed by in or out): Pinching in will zoom in, and pinching out will zoom out.
- Mining. (of a vein of ore or the like)
- to diminish.
- to diminish to nothing (sometimes followed by out).
- to trim a sail too flat when sailing to windward.
- the act of pinching; nip; squeeze.
- as much of anything as can be taken up between the finger and thumb: a pinch of salt.
- a very small quantity of anything: a pinch of pungent wit.
- sharp or painful stress, as of hunger, need, or any trying circumstances: the pinch of conscience; to feel the pinch of poverty.
- a situation or time of special stress, especially an emergency: A friend is someone who will stand by you in a pinch.
- pinch bar.
- a raid or an arrest.
- a theft.
- an act or instance of pinching a touchscreen.
- to stint on or be frugal or economical with expenditures; economize: I'll have to pinch pennies if I'm going to get through school.
- salt1 (def. 24).
- to press (something, esp flesh) tightly between two surfaces, esp between a finger and the thumb
- to confine, squeeze, or painfully press (toes, fingers, etc) because of lack of space
- to cause stinging pain to
- to make thin or drawn-looking, as from grief, lack of food, etc
- to provide (oneself or another person) with meagre allowances, amounts, etc
- to live frugally because of meanness or to economize
- to sail (a sailing vessel) so close to the wind that her sails begin to luff and she loses way
- (of a vein of ore) to narrow or peter out
- to remove the tips of (buds, shoots, etc) to correct or encourage growth
- to steal or take without asking
- to arrest
- a squeeze or sustained nip
- the quantity of a substance, such as salt, that can be taken between a thumb and finger
- a very small quantity
- a critical situation; predicament; emergency
- sharp, painful, or extreme stress, need, etc
- See pinch bar
- a robbery
- a police raid or arrest
- if absolutely necessary
- without wholly believing; sceptically
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