pinch

pinch¹ [pıntʃ] v

[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: From an unrecorded Old North French pinchier]

1.) [T]

to press a part of someone's skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts

▪ We have to stop her pinching her baby brother.

▪ He pinched her cheek.

2.) [T] BrE informal to steal something, especially something small or not very valuable

▪ Someone's pinched my coat!

3.) [T]

to press something between your finger and thumb

▪ Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal it.

4.) [I and T]

if something you are wearing pinches you, it presses painfully on part of your body, because it is too tight

▪ Her new shoes were pinching.

5.) sb has to pinch themselves

used when a situation is so surprising that the person involved needs to make sure that they are not imagining it

▪ Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream.

6.) [T usually passive] BrE old-fashioned to ↑arrest someone

pinch out [pinch sth<=>out] phr v

to remove a small part of a plant with your fingers

▪ Pinch out any side shoots to make the plant grow upwards.

pinch ²

pinch² n

1.) pinch of salt/pepper etc

a small amount of salt, pepper etc that you can hold between your finger and thumb

▪ Add a pinch of salt to taste.

2.) when you press someone's skin between your finger and thumb

▪ She gave him a playful pinch.

3.) at a pinch

BrE in a pinch AmE

used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation

▪ There's space for three people. Four at a pinch.

▪ If you're in a pinch, I'm sure they'd look after Jenny for a while.

4.) take sth with a pinch of salt

used to say that you should not always completely believe what a particular person says

▪ You have to take what he says with a pinch of salt.

5.) feel the pinch

to have financial difficulties, especially because you are not making as much money as you used to make

▪ Local stores and businesses are beginning to feel the pinch.