inch¹

[inch]

See more synonyms for inch on Thesaurus.com

noun

a unit of length, 1/12 (0.0833) foot, equivalent to 2.54 centimeters.
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)

to move by inches or small degrees: We inched our way along the road.

Idioms

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.
every inch, in every respect; completely: That horse is every inch a thoroughbred.
within an inch of, nearly; close to: He came within an inch of getting killed in the crash.

Origin of inch¹

before 1000; Middle English; Old English ynce < Latin uncia twelfth part, inch, ounce. See ounce¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for inching

Contemporary Examples

But it is also incredibly moving and instructive to watch the inching towards social justice.
How Gay Marriage Was Won: Prop 8’s Destruction Captured In HBO Movie
Tim Teeman
June 6, 2014
Another clue that the royal relationship might be inching forwards.
Cressy's Brother's Fears For Her Safety
Tom Sykes
March 25, 2014
Surprisingly, the official tells us, Utah is inching toward accepting the money, as is Tennessee.
States Edge Closer to Medicaid Expansion: Who’ll Go First?
Michael Tomasky
January 8, 2014
Knowing this, Bing has been gently, though strategically, inching its way into the inner circle.
After Four Lonely Years, It’s Time to Give Bing a Chance
Anna Brand
July 29, 2013
Inching towards the opposing positions will never bridge the yawning chasm between them.
The Reality Behind Kerry's Optimism
Matthew Kalman
July 1, 2013

Historical Examples

I was inching now, coming back like a blind man feeling his way.
Highways in Hiding
George Oliver Smith
He'd get one finger into a hole and pull, inching his body against the beam.
A Matter of Proportion
Anne Walker
Loren's hand was inching out toward the yellow and brown neck.
'Mid Pleasures and Palaces
James McKimmey
His worship observed, that he had never heard the verb "inching" used before, and therefore he had asked for an explanation.
Mornings at Bow Street
John Wight
And this craft bore past there often, inching its downward way with swifters of logs, driving fast up-lake without a tow.
Big Timber
Bertrand W. Sinclair

British Dictionary definitions for inching

inch¹

noun

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot or 0.0254 metre
meteorol
1. an amount of precipitation that would cover a surface with water one inch deepfive inches of rain fell in January
2. a unit of pressure equal to a mercury column one inch high in a barometer
a very small distance, degree, or amount
every inch in every way; completelyhe was every inch an aristocrat
inch by inch gradually; little by little
within an inch of very close to

verb

to move or be moved very slowly or in very small stepsthe car inched forward
(tr foll by out) to defeat (someone) by a very small margin

Word Origin

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

inch²

noun

Scot and Irish a small island

Word Origin

C15: from Gaelic innis island; compare Welsh ynys

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

Word Origin and History for inching

inch

v.

"move little by little," 1590s, from inch (n.1). Related: Inched; inching.

inch

n.1

"linear measure, one-twelfth of a foot," late Old English ynce, Middle English unche (current spelling c.1300), from Latin uncia "a twelfth part," from root of unus "one" (see one). An early borrowing from Latin, not found in any other Germanic language. Transferred and figurative sense of "a very small amount" is attested from mid-14c. For phrase give him an inch ... see ell.

inch

n.2

"small Scottish island," early 15c., from Gaelic innis (genitive innse) "island, land by a river," from Celtic *inissi (cf. Old Irish inis, Welsh ynys, Breton enez).

inching in Science

inch

[ĭnch]

A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 112 of a foot (2.54 centimeters). See Table at measurement.

Idioms and Phrases with inching

inch

In addition to the idioms beginning with inch

inch along
inch by inch

also see:

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

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Examples from the Web for inching

Contemporary Examples

But it is also incredibly moving and instructive to watch the inching towards social justice.

Another clue that the royal relationship might be inching forwards.

Surprisingly, the official tells us, Utah is inching toward accepting the money, as is Tennessee.

Knowing this, Bing has been gently, though strategically, inching its way into the inner circle.

Inching towards the opposing positions will never bridge the yawning chasm between them.

Historical Examples

I was inching now, coming back like a blind man feeling his way.

He'd get one finger into a hole and pull, inching his body against the beam.

Loren's hand was inching out toward the yellow and brown neck.

His worship observed, that he had never heard the verb "inching" used before, and therefore he had asked for an explanation.

And this craft bore past there often, inching its downward way with swifters of logs, driving fast up-lake without a tow.

inch1

Word Origin

inch2

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for inching

inch

v.

inch

n.1

inch

n.2

inch

Idioms and Phrases with inching

inch

inch¹

Origin of inch¹

inch¹

inch²