pinch1 verbpinch2 noun
pinchpinch1 /pɪntʃ/ ●○○ verb 
WORD ORIGINpinch1
Origin:
1200-1300 From an unrecorded Old North French pinchierVERB TABLE
pinch
| Simple Form | ||
| Present | I, you, we, they | pinch |
| he, she, it | pinches | |
| Past | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | pinched |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have pinched |
| he, she, it | has pinched | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had pinched |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will pinch |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have pinched |
| Continuous Form | ||
| Present | I | am pinching |
| he, she, it | is pinching | |
| you, we, they | are pinching | |
| Past | I, he, she, it | was pinching |
| you, we, they | were pinching | |
| Present perfect | I, you, we, they | have been pinching |
| he, she, it | has been pinching | |
| Past perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | had been pinching |
| Future | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will be pinching |
| Future perfect | I, you, he, she, it, we, they | will have been pinching |
EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Dad! Katy just pinched me!
- Stop pinching me!
- These shoes pinch my toes.
- He pinched some out and cleaned it on a crumpled paper bag, not knowing what to say.
- He pinched the last quarter inch of his cigarette tightly, and sucked on it so hard it squeaked.
- It was one of the slimmest, and the envelopes in it were pinched in slightly by the pressure of the bands.
- She pinched her own arm until it was black and blue.
- These fellows for fun would pinch one and put it on another step, and do this going all down the road.
THESAURUSwhen part of your body feels painful
if part of your body hurts, it feels painful: · My chest hurts when I cough.
to hurt with a continuous pain: · I’d been walking all day and my legs were really aching.
to feel a bad pain that comes and goes again in a regular and continuous way: · Lou had a terrible headache and his whole head seemed to be throbbing.
to feel a sharp pain, or to make someone feel this, especially in your eyes, throat, or skin: · My throat stings every time I swallow.· This injection may sting a little.
to hurt with a sudden sharp pain – used especially about your eyes, or your skin where something has hit you: · Her eyes were smarting from the thick smoke.· Jackson’s face was still smarting from the punch.
to feel very hot and painful or uncomfortable: · Be careful because this chemical will make your skin burn.· His eyes were burning because of the gas.
if something you are wearing pinches you, it is too tight and presses painfully on your skin: · The shirt was a bit too small and it was pinching my neck.
spoken informal used when something feels very painful: · My legs are killing me.· These shoes are killing me.
if you have a bad back/leg/arm etc, it feels painful: · He’s off work with a bad back.
to illegally take something that belongs to someone else: · The thieves stole over £10,000 worth of computer equipment.· Thousands of cars get stolen every year.
to steal something – used when it is clear from the situation that you mean that someone takes something dishonestly: · The boys broke into her house and took all her money.· They didn’t take much – just a few items of jewellery.
British English, burglarize American English [usually passive] to go into someone’s home and steal things, especially when the owners are not there: · Their house was burgled while they were away.· If you leave windows open, you are asking to be burgled.
to steal money or other things from a bank, shop, or person: · The gang were convicted of robbing a bank in Essex.· An elderly woman was robbed at gunpoint in her own home.· He’s serving a sentence for robbing a grocery store.
to attack someone in the street and steal something from them: · People in this area are frightened of being mugged when they go out.· Someone tried to mug me outside the station.
British English informal to steal something: · Someone’s nicked my wallet!· When I came back, my car had been pinched.
to steal money from the organization you work for, especially money that you are responsible for: · Government officials embezzled more than $2.5 million from the department.
stealing things from a shop by taking them when you think no one is looking: · Shoplifting costs stores millions of pounds every year.
the activity of dishonestly persuading people to give you their credit card details over the Internet, so that you can steal money from their bank account: · Phishing is becoming very popular with computer criminals.
Longman Language Activatora small amount of food or drink · "Would you like some more coffee?" "Just a little."a little water/meat/cake etc · The next day Mark felt well enough to eat a little solid food.· Would you like a little ice cream with your pie?a little of (=a small amount of a specific food, drink etc) · I think I'll try a little of the casserole.a little more/less · If I were you I'd use a little less salt next time.
also a bit especially British informal a small amount: · "Can I serve you some soup?" "Alright, but just a little bit."a little bit of: · He only ate a little bit of dinner and then went straight to bed.· Would you like a bit of bacon with your eggs?· We still have a little bit of cheese left, if you want it.a (little) bit more/less: · Can I have a bit more red wine, please?
only a little - use this especially when you expect or need more: · "How much cake do you want?" "Not much, I'm on a diet."not much water/meat/cake etc: · There's not much wine left, but I think we can each have a glass.not much to eat/drink: · We need to do some shopping - there isn't much to eat at home.not very much: · You haven't eaten very much. Do you feel okay?
a very small amount, usually so small that there is not enough to have an effect, be useful etc: · We drink only occasionally, and even then very little.very little water/meat/cake etc: · The soup is made with lots of vegetables but very little chicken.very little of: · He ate very little of the food we had given him.
also scarcely any especially British almost none at all: · I thought you liked my lasagne, but you've eaten hardly any.hardly any water/meat/cake etc: · There's barely any sugar in these cookies at all.· Since his heart attack he's eaten scarcely any red meat.
informal a small amount of something that you drink: · "Do you take cream in your coffee?" "Yes, just a drop, please."drop of: · Would you like a drop of soda in your whisky?· He hasn't had a drop of alcohol in 20 years.
a small amount of a powder such as salt, flour etc which you can hold between your thumb and first finger: pinch of: · Add a pinch of salt and half a cup of breadcrumbs.· The stew normally tastes better with a pinch or two of dried herbs.
a very small amount of a liquid which is added to a drink or to food, usually in order to give it a stronger taste: dash of: · It's just vodka with orange juice and a dash of lime juice.· The secret of this sauce is a couple of dashes of brandy added just at the end.
to push something firmly, especially with your fingers to push something firmly with your fingers or with your feet. In American English push is usually used to describe what you do to buttons, bells etc: · The doctor gently pressed her stomach.· I pressed the brake pedal, but nothing happened.press something down: · She stuffed the papers back in the box and pressed the lid down.press a button/bell/key British (=in order to make a machine work, a bell ring etc): · Which key do I press to delete it?· To get coffee, put your money in the machine and press the green button.
to push something firmly inwards by pressing on both sides of it, especially with your hands or fingers: · I squeezed the toothpaste tube, but nothing came out.· a horrible doll that cried when you squeezed itsqueeze something out of something: · I can't squeeze any more tomato paste out of this tube.squeeze somebody's arm/hand (=as a sign of love or friendship): · Alice squeezed my arm affectionately, and said goodbye.
to press someone's skin tightly between your fingers and thumb, so that it hurts: · Dad! Katy just pinched me!
especially American to press a button, for example on a telephone or a computer screen, in order to make a choice, get information, or make something work - used especially in instructions: · For room service, touch button 9.
to press a soft substance such as clay or dough (=a mixture of flour and water used to make bread) repeatedly with your hands: · She kneaded the dough and shaped it into loaves.· The clay should be kneaded thoroughly to remove any bubbles of air.
to steal something to take something that does not belong to you without the owner's permission in a dishonest or illegal way: · Thousands of cars get stolen every year.· In the end he had to steal in order to survive.steal from: · drug addicts who steal from their friends and familiessteal something from: · Thieves stole paintings worth $5 million from a Paris art gallery.have something stolen: · It's strange he should have had so many things stolen in just a week.get stolen: · My grandfather refused to put his money in a bank because he was afraid it would get stolen.
to steal something, especially money or things that can be carried away: · Someone has been taking money from the cash box.· The burglars took our TV and stereo, but they didn't find the jewellery.
British spoken to steal something: · I wonder where she got that coat -- do you think she nicked it?· Jimmy was caught pinching money from his mum's purse.
spoken to steal something, especially someone's personal possessions: rip off something: · While I was out, someone went into my hotel room and ripped off the rest of my travelers' checks.
to steal something very easily, by picking it up and walking away with it, usually without anyone noticing: · My bag's disappeared! That woman must have walked off with it!· Guards in the lobby prevent employees from going off with computers and sensitive documents.
informal to steal something very easily without anyone trying to stop you: · While no one was looking Louise and Alice helped themselves to some apples and bananas.· Burglars cut through the ceiling and helped themselves to $3.6 million in jewels.
to steal things, especially small things or things you do not think are very valuable: · The farmer caught them pilfering apples from his orchard.· The villagers pilfered stones from ancient ruined cities to build their houses.
informal to steal something quickly when someone is not looking: · While I was swimming in the river, somebody swiped all my clothes!· I wish I knew who'd swiped my earrings.
American informal to steal something, especially something small and not very valuable: · The supermarket has a problem with kids snitching candy bars off the shelves.· He watched as Grover snitched two packets of sugar from behind the counter.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES
a pinch of salt (=a very small amount) He took a pinch of snuff.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSADVERB
a pinch of salt (=a very small amount) He took a pinch of snuff.· It was one of the slimmest, and the envelopes in it were pinched in slightly by the pressure of the bands.· She always had on a brown cotton smock which was pinched in around the waist with a wide leather belt.· He was breathing quickly, his nostrils pinching in as he thought of the coming confrontation with his wife.
· To obtain good bushy plants, keep pinching out the tips.· He pinched out one candle and took the other to light his way down.· Breathless and dizzy, Nicholas found and pinched out his fuse, and looked across gasping to John.· And would be more so when she could steel herself to pinch out the little chin and make it weak.· When the tomato plants have set four trusses of fruit, pinch out the growing tips.· When the bean vine reaches the top of the cane, pinch out the growing point.· Perilla frutescens Purple-bronze leaves, a little like a coleus. Pinch out growing tip to make bushy.
NOUN· She reached over and pinched his cheeks.· Then he shook Changez's hand twice and pinched his cheeks.· Life has to pinch your cheeks hard to make you happy.· Shop assistants abandon customers to pinch its cheek.· She showed me his face, pinching his cheeks, and offered him.· She demonstrated her dexterity by managing to pinch my cheek while wearing elbow-length white gloves.· He pinched Converse on the cheek.
· Her assailants had covered her face and pinched her nose so that she could not breathe.· By morning his face was dark and pinched, his feet and hands cold and blue.· His face was greyish and pinched, his eyes, when he raised them, inflamed.· She showed me his face, pinching his cheeks, and offered him.· I slapped my face and pinched my thighs till they hurt.· His pale eyes, looking briefly at me, had a hostile appearance; his face was pinched.
VERB· They feel pinched by rising costs in repairs and housing.
PHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1[transitive] to press a part of someone’s skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts: - But since he never even notices that Howard is himself Howard takes this with a pinch of salt.
- I try to take everything with a grain of salt.
- We took her to a psychic reader about a month ago-we take that with a grain of salt.
We have to stop her pinching her baby brother. He pinched her cheek.► see thesaurus at hurt2[transitive] British English informal to steal something, especially something small or not very valuable: Someone’s pinched my coat!► see thesaurus at steal3[transitive] to press something between your finger and thumb: Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal it.4[intransitive, transitive] 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 somebody 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[transitive] British English old-fashioned to arrest someoneGRAMMAR Pinch is usually passive in this meaning.pinch something ↔ out phrasal verb to remove a small part of a plant with your fingers: Pinch out any side shoots to make the plant grow upwards.pinch1 verbpinch2 noun
pinchpinch2 noun [countable] EXAMPLES FROM OTHER DICTIONARIES
- Grandma gave us both a pinch on the cheek.
- Among insurance companies, he could win any case in a pinch.
- At significant times in the day we have got real pinch points on corridors, particularly motorways.
- Duquette, pinch hitting for manager Kevin Kennedy, voiced his views at a BoSox Club luncheon.
- Hunt evening coat, waistcoat fitting him with the same exact pinch as waistcoats had when he was twenty.
- I take all that fame with a pinch of salt.
- Mark on veins and pinch base together to shape.
- Not quirky little ritual habit-forming, like throwing a pinch of spilled salt over your shoulder, but slow suicide habit-forming.
- Small businesses dependent on the government also are feeling the pinch.
Longman Language Activatorwhen you do not believe something
to not believe that something is true or that someone is telling the truth: · She doesn't believe anything he tells her.· I told her it was an accident, but she didn't believe me.not believe (that): · I don't believe you meant half the things you said.not believe a word of it (=not believe it at all): · They say they're going to send me the money, but I don't believe a word of it.
formal to not believe something, especially something that someone has told you: · He had nothing to gain from lying so we saw no reason to disbelieve him.· Kim, of course, disbelieved every word the boy said.
to think that something may not really be true or that someone may not really be telling the truth, even though you are not completely sure: · In all the years I knew him I never once doubted his story.· He wondered how he could ever have doubted her.doubt (that): · He doubted that the car was hers because everyone knew she had no money.doubt whether/if: · They seriously doubted whether the letter had ever existed.I doubt it spoken: · He may be able to do a good job, but I doubt it.doubt very much/seriously doubt (=think something is almost certainly not true): · She says she'll leave him, but I doubt very much that she will.
British /take something with a grain of salt American to not completely believe what someone says to you because you know that they do not always tell the truth: · It's best to take what he says with a pinch of salt - he's always exaggerating.· Every once in a while I go to a psychic, but I take everything she says with a grain of salt.
the feeling that you cannot believe someone or something, especially because it is very surprising: · When people hear tragic news their first reaction is usually one of disbelief.· My story was met with a mixture of disbelief and contempt.do something in disbelief: · I stared at him in utter disbelief.
also skeptical American someone who is sceptical about something is not sure whether it is true, or does not really believe it: · When I started this investigation I was sceptical.· His attitude towards all religion is sceptical.sceptical about: · I wish him luck, but I'm skeptical about his chances of success.
someone who is cynical is not willing to believe that people have good or honest reasons for doing something: · I think movie stars just do charity work to get publicity - but maybe I'm too cynical.· an author with a cynical view of lifecynical about: · Since her divorce, she's become very cynical about men.
unable to believe something because it is so surprising that it seems impossible: · Everyone looked incredulous when I said I used to drive a taxi.· "A millionaire!" she was incredulous. "Like hell he is!"· The announcement was met by incredulous laughter.
COLLOCATIONS FROM OTHER ENTRIES a pinch of salt (=a very small amount) He took a pinch of snuff.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSNOUN
a pinch of salt (=a very small amount) He took a pinch of snuff.· Allow a little extra for pinch pleat tape in order to balance your pleats.· These pleats are also of a predetermined size and therefore any adjustment is limited, as with pinch pleat tape.· It should be treated in the same way as pinch pleat tape.· Hand pinch pleat A hand pinch pleat heading, producing sharp, crisp pleats, is far superior to a taped version.
VERB· Chichester was not the only Sussex town to feel the pinch of economic decay.· Meanwhile, with its future hanging in the balance, Fokker is starting to feel the pinch.· Schools in the poorest areas, already short of resources, are certainly feeling the pinch.· Small businesses dependent on the government also are feeling the pinch.· Membership of the club has dwindled from 70 to 20 and its clear commuters are feeling the pinch.· He felt the pinch of depravity.· In addition, parish priests were feeling the pinch through reduced income from alms and tithes.
· While the first statement is no doubt true, the second must be taken with a pinch of salt.· I felt the mud under my hands, then quickly took a pinch into my mouth.· She took a pinch of snuff in her hand and sprinkled it over the note murmuring something under her breath.· Even Big Macs at times need to be taken with a pinch of salt.· But since he never even notices that Howard is himself Howard takes this with a pinch of salt.· But she dipped her thumb and forefinger into the bag and took out a pinch of snuff.· She saw me looking at her and thrusting the bag under my nose invited me to take a pinch.· This means that the figures quoted in this paragraph have to be taken with a small pinch of salt.
PHRASES FROM THE ENTRYPHRASES FROM OTHER ENTRIES
1pinch of salt/pepper etc a small amount of salt, pepper etc that you can hold between your finger and thumb: - A pinch of salt in each bowl stops the mosquitoes breeding in the water.
- Add remaining coconut milk and a pinch of salt and simmer until slightly thickened, about 5 minutes.
- Course Moira always has had a vivid imagination, you have to take what she says with a pinch of salt.
- I take all that fame with a pinch of salt.
- Luckily a pinch of salt got rid of them, leaving behind a blood-stained sock.
- Water during a fast nauseated him and he accordingly would add a pinch of salt or bicarbonate of soda.
- While the first statement is no doubt true, the second must be taken with a pinch of salt.
- But this novel has not just one but two barmen who could also at a pinch be hailed as lords of language.
- Her appointments for the following week could, at a pinch, be postponed.
- Interior is snug but seats four at a pinch.
- Or at a pinch he might be able to squeeze himself into the desk drawer and hide.
- Our flat was a little box that would have probably accommodated Michael's sports shoes at a pinch.
- Ponyets could have handled them at a pinch.
- There is a large bench seat in the rear which will accommodate two adults or three smaller people at a pinch.
- You could, at a pinch, also serve either with the Pizzettas.
- It's best to take what he says with a pinch of salt - he's always exaggerating.
- You have to take most things Dave says with a pinch of salt.
- But since he never even notices that Howard is himself Howard takes this with a pinch of salt.
- Local stores and businesses are beginning to feel the pinch from the economic crisis.
- Chichester was not the only Sussex town to feel the pinch of economic decay.
- He felt the pinch of depravity.
- In addition, parish priests were feeling the pinch through reduced income from alms and tithes.
- Meanwhile, with its future hanging in the balance, Fokker is starting to feel the pinch.
- Membership of the club has dwindled from 70 to 20 and its clear commuters are feeling the pinch.
- Schools in the poorest areas, already short of resources, are certainly feeling the pinch.
- Small businesses dependent on the government also are feeling the pinch.
- But since he never even notices that Howard is himself Howard takes this with a pinch of salt.
- I try to take everything with a grain of salt.
- We took her to a psychic reader about a month ago-we take that with a grain of salt.
Add a pinch of salt to taste.2when you press someone’s skin between your finger and thumb: She gave him a playful pinch.3at a pinch British English, in a pinch American English 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.4take something 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.5feel 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.