pinch (n.)

  1. a painful or straitened circumstance; the pinch of the recession'

  2. an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed

  3. a slight but appreciable amount; this dish could use a touch of garlic

    [ Syn: touch , hint , tinge , mite , jot , speck , soupcon ]

  4. a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that requires immediate action; he never knew what to do in an emergency

    [ Syn: emergency , exigency ]

  5. a small sharp bite or snip

    [ Syn: nip , nip ]

  6. a squeeze with the fingers

    [ Syn: tweak ]

  7. the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a criminal); the policeman on the beat got credit for the collar

    [ Syn: apprehension , arrest , catch , collar , taking into custody ]

    pinch (v.)

  1. squeeze tightly between the fingers; He pinched her behind; She squeezed the bottle

    [ Syn: squeeze , twinge , tweet , nip , twitch ]

  2. make ridges into by pinching together

    [ Syn: crimp ]

  3. make off with belongings of others

    [ Syn: pilfer , cabbage , purloin , abstract , snarf , swipe , hook , sneak , filch , nobble , lift ]

  4. cut the top off; top trees and bushes

    [ Syn: top ]

  5. 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

    [ Syn: vellicate ]

The dictionary is based on the WordNet Electronic Lexical Database.
WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2011 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.