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.

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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.

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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

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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

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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

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inch More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing inch

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

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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

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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

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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

Since the songs release, Star has said she would like to "roam every inch of Wales" and perhaps visit the Eisteddfod one day, as she enjoys learning more about Wales and the Welsh language.

From BBC ● Oct. 11, 2026

A layer of mud covered every inch of the frame and seat.

From "Caterpillar Summer" by Gillian McDunn

According to Manfre, he and his girlfriend had just finished saying grace when a man who had been cursing at Wendy’s workers suddenly moved to within inches of his face.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 29, 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

Stretching 143 feet, 8 inches, the MAX 10 can hold a maximum of 230 seats, according to Boeing.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 20, 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

Both Alyx and Oliver were taller than me, the latter by at least a few inches, with brown hair and green eyes.

From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows

Statistics Canada also estimated manufacturing sales inched higher last month, with the value of shipments up 0.1% from a month earlier.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 23, 2026

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

Meanwhile, European revenue declined just under 1%, while sales in the Asia-Pacific and Africa inched up 1%.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 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

We inched on along the path, our arms entwined, until we caught sight of the white nightshirt up ahead in a clearing.

From "The Detective's Assistant" by Kate Hannigan

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, inching past the previous record of 98 set in 1953.

From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 6, 2026

One sweating plastic cup inching toward permanent damage.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

“The Bank is inching towards raising rates, but inflation remains low, even adjusting for recent fiscal policy changes,” Nomura analysts said in a note.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

After all, his mother wasn’t growing any taller, but he could feel himself inching up.

From "Clayton Byrd Goes Underground" by Rita Williams-Garcia

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