inch

¹ American  

[inch] / ɪntʃ /

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)

• inches,
  present (3rd person singular)
• inched,
  past participle,  past
• inching
  present participle

1. to move by inches or small degrees.

   We inched our way along the road.

idioms

1. every inch, in every respect; completely.

   That horse is every inch a thoroughbred.

2. within an inch of, nearly; close to.

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

3. 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.

inch ² American  

[inch] / ɪntʃ /

noun

Scot.

1. a small island near the seacoast.

---

inch ¹ British  

/ ɪntʃ /

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. in every way; completely

   he was every inch an aristocrat

5. gradually; little by little

6. very close to

---

verb

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

   the car inched forward

2. to defeat (someone) by a very small margin

inch ² British  

/ ɪntʃ /

noun

1. a small island

---

inch Scientific  

/ ĭnch /

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

---

inch More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing inch

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

---

Other Word Forms

Inflected Forms

Participles

• inching
  present
• inched
  past

Conjugated Forms

Present

• inch
  simple
• inches
  simple
• have inched
  perfect
• has inched
  perfect
• am inching
  progressive
• are inching
  progressive
• is inching
  progressive
• have been inching
  perfect progressive
• has been inching
  perfect progressive

Past

• inched
  simple
• had inched
  perfect
• was inching
  progressive
• were inching
  progressive
• had been inching
  perfect progressive

Future

• will inch
  simple
• will have inched
  perfect
• will be inching
  progressive
• will have been inching
  perfect progressive

---

Etymology

Origin of inch¹

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

Origin of inch²

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

---

Explanation

An inch is a small unit of measurement. Twelve inches makes one foot. You might get an inch of your hair cut off, or hem your jeans so they're an inch shorter. Some countries use centimeters and meters as units of measurement, but if you measure in inches, you can order a twelve inch pizza or print out three by five inch photos. When inch is used as a verb, it means "to creep slowly forward." The Old English version was ynce, from the Latin uncia, "a twelfth part."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

inch inches inched inching

From Ossoff, he learned how to braid in being an intellectual and polished orator, how debate-club tactics can work as long as you eschew the tie and show an inch of clavicle.

From Slate ● Oct. 27, 2026

Every inch of its intimate sanctum contains the story of the venue’s principal owners, Quentin Ertel and Brian Rauschenbach.

From Salon ● Oct. 24, 2026

The Duo’s 7.6-inch inner display, just two-thirds of an inch smaller than the iPad Mini’s, is great for the same activities.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 21, 2026

A bit more rain is expected in Orange County with coastal areas receiving anywhere from half an inch to an inch over the weekend and into early next week.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 10, 2026

And best of all was the wedged heel, about one inch high, which made me feel like I was eye to eye with Aunt Kate now.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

Torrential rains dumped nearly 5 inches of water on some towns, flooding roads, disrupting public transportation and forcing polling stations to relocate.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 27, 2026

They had pulled a truck around in front of the entrance, leaving just a few inches for the employees to slip in and out of the garage, invisible from the street.

From Slate ● Oct. 26, 2026

Mammoth Lakes received three to six inches of snow in the past three days and plans to open the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area on Nov. 13, according to spokesperson Mike Imes.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 24, 2026

Sitting just inches apart around a San Diego beach rental’s dinner table in Fielder and co-director Lance Oppenheim’s magnificent new documentary, “You Can See Everything,” Fielder and Holmes look decidedly comfortable with one another.

From Salon ● Oct. 17, 2026

When I open the door again, Emma is standing two inches away from my face, Oreo crumbs stuck to her cheeks.

From "South of Somewhere" by Kalena Miller

Average loans and leases jumped 13.5% to $278.6 billion in the global wealth and investment management business, while in the consumer banking arm, average loans and leases inched up 0.2% to $321 billion.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 14, 2026

Gold prices inched lower: New York futures were down 0.2% to $4,209.50 a troy ounce.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 12, 2026

The Broncos tied the score after making the defensive stop, then inched away with two drives that ended with field goals.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 11, 2026

Retail sales in the eurozone inched higher in August, despite automotive fuel sales slipping as oil prices once again gained ground in the month.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

The stop sign on the side of the bus inched its way into place, struggling to push past the uncompromising air.

From "Breadcrumbs" by Anne Ursu

Heading into Wednesday, stocks had effectively treaded water in the six weeks since the Fed’s previous meeting, with the S&P 500 inching up 0.7% over that span.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 28, 2026

Case in point: Micron’s stock was choppy in early Wednesday trade, rising as much as 3.6% before briefly turning negative and then inching back into the black.

From MarketWatch ● Oct. 21, 2026

Camarillo hit 99 degrees, inching past the previous record of 98 degrees set in 1953.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 5, 2026

AMD was inching higher after announcing an $8.2 billion deal to buy World Labs, with other chip stocks gaining.

From Barron's ● Sep. 29, 2026

I ask, inching farther away from the door.

From "They Both Die at the End" by Adam Silvera

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

---