inch

1 of 3

noun (1)

ˈinch How to pronounce inch (audio)
Synonyms of inchnext
1
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₃₆ yard see Weights and Measures Table
2
: a small amount, distance, or degree
is like cutting a dog's tail off by inches—Milton Friedman
3
inches plural : stature, height
4
a
: a fall (as of rain or snow) sufficient to cover a surface or to fill a gauge to the depth of one inch
b
: a degree of atmospheric or other pressure sufficient to balance the weight of a column of liquid (such as mercury) one inch high in a barometer or manometer
5
: a small advantage especially from lenient or compassionate treatment
—usually used in the phrase give an inch

inch

2 of 3

verb

inched; inching; inches

intransitive verb

: to move by small degrees : progress slowly
the long line of people inching up the stairs

transitive verb

: to cause to move slowly
sooner or later they begin inching prices back up—Forbes

inch

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland
: island
Phrases
every inch
: to the utmost degree
looks every inch a winner
inch by inch
: very gradually or slowly
within an inch of
: almost to the point of
came within an inch of succeeding

Did you know?

The ancient Romans used a system of weights and measures based on units divided into 12 parts. Thus the Latin uncia, meaning “a 12th part,” designated the 12th part of a foot. From this is derived Old English ince or ynce and modern English inch. The Roman pound was also divided into 12 parts, similarly designated by the word uncia. In this sense uncia followed a different path and became Middle English unce or ounce, which was the 12th part of a pound in the troy system. In the avoirdupois system, which is more widely used, the pound is larger and equals 16 ounces. The English noun inch dates to before the 12th century; the verb meaning “to move very slowly” does not appear until around 1600.

Synonyms

Noun (1)

Verb

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of inch in a Sentence

Noun (1) give them an inch, and they'll take a mile inch by inch, we're making progress toward our fund-raising goal made the most of her inches by standing on her tiptoes to reach the top shelf Verb We inched along in heavy traffic. As she neared the finish line, she inched ahead of the other racers. Gas prices are inching up again. I inched the car into the garage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Noun
Two to 6 inches of snow is forecast at Sierra Nevada passes, the National Weather Service said. —Bay Area News Group, The Mercury News, 11 Nov. 2024 An additional 2 to 4 inches of rainfall are expected into Thursday morning across parts of western Cuba, amounting to 12 inches of total accumulations from the storm. —Marlene Lenthang, NBC News, 7 Nov. 2024
Verb
In Area 3, the incumbent and board president, Leandra Blades, is inching closer to being reelected with 54.37%. —Alexcia Negrete, Orange County Register, 9 Nov. 2024 Your cup of pumpkin spice latte is barely empty, yet peppermint mochas and gingerbread lattes are already inching onto the menus. —Kate Hardcastle, Forbes, 5 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for inch 

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ynce, from Latin uncia — more at ounce

Noun (2)

Middle English (Scots), from Scottish Gaelic innis

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inch was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing inch

Dictionary Entries Near inch

incestuous

inch

inchant

See More Nearby Entries 

Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inch. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

inch

1 of 2 noun
ˈinch How to pronounce inch (audio)
1
: a unit of length equal to ¹⁄₃₆ yard (2.54 centimeters) see measure
2
: a small amount, distance, or degree
won't budge an inch
3
: a small advantage especially from kind treatment
—usually used in the phrase give an inch
did not give an inch during negotiations

inch

2 of 2 verb
: to move a little bit at a time
Etymology

Noun

Old English ynce "inch," from Latin uncia "a 12th part, ounce," from unus "one" — related to ounce, unite see Word History at ounce

Medical Definition

inch

noun
ˈinch How to pronounce inch (audio)
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₃₆ yard or 2.54 centimeters

More from Merriam-Webster on inch

Nglish: Translation of inch for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of inch for Arabic Speakers

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about inch

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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