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View synonyms for

inch

1

[ inch ]

noun

  1. a unit of length, 1/12 (0.0833) foot, equivalent to 2.54 centimeters. : in.
  2. a very small amount of anything; narrow margin:

    to win by an inch;

    to avert disaster by an inch.



verb (used with or without object)

  1. to move by inches or small degrees:

    We inched our way along the road.

inch

2

[ inch ]

noun

Scot.
  1. a small island near the seacoast.

inch

1

/ ɪԳʃ /

noun

  1. a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot or 0.0254 metre
  2. meteorol
    1. an amount of precipitation that would cover a surface with water one inch deep

      five inches of rain fell in January

    2. a unit of pressure equal to a mercury column one inch high in a barometer
  3. a very small distance, degree, or amount
  4. every inch
    in every way; completely

    he was every inch an aristocrat

  5. inch by inch
    gradually; little by little
  6. within an inch of
    very close to
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

verb

  1. to move or be moved very slowly or in very small steps

    the car inched forward

  2. trfoll byout to defeat (someone) by a very small margin
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

inch

2

/ ɪԳʃ /

noun

  1. a small island
“Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged” 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

inch

  1. A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 1 12 of a foot (2.54 centimeters).
  2. See Table at measurement
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Word History and Origins

Origin of inch1

First recorded before 1000; Middle English inch(e), unch(e), enche, Old English ynce, from Latin uncia “twelfth part, inch, ounce”; ounce 1

Origin of inch2

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Scots Gaelic innse, genitive of innis “iԻ,” Old Irish inis, cognate with Welsh ynys, Breton enez
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Word History and Origins

Origin of inch1

Old English ynce, from Latin uncia twelfth part; see ounce 1

Origin of inch2

C15: from Gaelic innis island; compare Welsh ynys
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. by inches,
    1. narrowly; by a narrow margin:

      escaped by inches.

    2. Also inch by inch. by small degrees or stages; gradually:

      The miners worked their way through the narrow shaft inch by inch.

  2. every inch, in every respect; completely:

    That horse is every inch a thoroughbred.

  3. within an inch of, nearly; close to:

    He came within an inch of getting killed in the crash.

More idioms and phrases containing inch

  • by inches
  • every inch
  • give an inch
  • within an ace (inch) of
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A video of the early-morning, post-crash scene, obtained by TMZ, showed Arenas lying face down in the street in a few inches of water while the broken hydrant sprayed water into the air.

From

Every so often they shuffled a few inches forward, following the queue for Pope Francis's lying in state.

From

So far, that monthly total sits at 0.09 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

From

As urban lizards go, it’s a bruiser, with bodies up to 7 inches long.

From

The lizards are around 21 inches long and feast on leaves, fruits and flowers in the coastal swamps and rainforests of their native islands.

From

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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incestuousinch along