# inch

Pronunciation: US say "INCH" /ɪnt͡ʃ/; UK

## Noun

1. A unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, or 2.54 centimeters, roughly the width of a thumb.
   - Simple: A small unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot, about as wide as a thumb.
   - _The carpenter trimmed the plank down to exactly one inch._
   - _The painting measures eighteen inches across._
2. A very short distance, especially a tiny margin or amount.
   - Simple: A very small distance or amount.
   - _She won the race by an inch._
   - _They refused to give an inch during the negotiations._
4. A measure of rainfall equal to a depth of one inch of water collected on level ground.
   - Simple: A rainfall amount that would cover flat ground one inch deep.
   - _Forecasters expect nearly an inch of rain by morning._
   - _The valley received three inches of rain during the storm._
5. A rough measure of an alcoholic drink equal to a depth of one inch in the glass.
   - Simple: A measure of a drink equal to a depth of one inch in a glass.
   - _Pour an inch of brandy and warm it gently._
   - _There were still a couple of inches of scotch in the bottle._
6. Any of several comparable units of length found in other traditional systems of measurement.
   - Simple: A unit of length like the inch, used in older measuring systems of other countries.
   - _The Russian inch matched the English one almost exactly._
   - _Old trade required converting between many different inches._
9. A small island or islet. *(dialectal, Ireland, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A very small island.
   - _A ruined abbey crowns the green inch in the middle of the river._
   - _Fishermen anchored their boats beside the low-lying inch at dusk._
10. A meadow, pasture, or field, especially low-lying ground beside a river. *(dialectal, Ireland, Scotland)*
   - Simple: A grassy meadow or field, often near a river.
   - _Hay was cut from the rich inch along the floodplain._
   - _Sheep wandered across the damp inches at first light._

## Verb

3. To move forward slowly, by small amounts at a time, in a particular direction.
   - Simple: To move forward very slowly, a little at a time.
   - _Glaciers inch down the valley over many years._
   - _The injured hiker inched along the narrow ledge._
7. To move or drive something forward by small degrees, a little at a time.
   - Simple: To push something forward little by little.
   - _The crew inched the massive beam into place._
   - _Movers inch the wardrobe up the stairs one step at a time._
8. To give something out in small, sparing amounts.
   - Simple: To give something out in very small amounts.
   - _Cautious lenders inch out credit during hard times._
   - _She inched out the news to reporters, revealing little at a time._
12. To insult someone with a cocky put-down, or more generally to speak in a cocky, cheeky manner. *(colloquial, Hong Kong)*
   - Simple: To make fun of someone with a bold, cheeky remark, or to talk in a cocky way.
   - _He loves to inch his friends whenever they lose._
   - _The older boys inch anyone who shows up late._

## Adjective

11. Behaving in a cocky, cheeky, and overly bold manner. *(colloquial, Hong Kong)*
   - Simple: Acting too proud and rude in a bold way.
   - _That new prefect is very inch. He talks back to every teacher who corrects him._
   - _Her inch attitude annoyed the whole team._

## Origin

**Meanings 1–8** — From Middle English ynche, from Old English ynċe, which was borrowed from Latin uncia (a Roman inch or similar unit), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *óynos ("one"). It is a doublet of ounce.
**Meanings 9–10** — From Scots inch, from Scottish Gaelic innis.
**Meanings 11–12** — A semantic loan from Cantonese 寸 (cyun³, "inch"), an alternative form of 串 (cyun³, "cocky; to provoke").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/inch (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).