inch

[ inch ]

/ ɪntʃ /

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.

Nearby words

Idioms

by inches,

narrowly; by a narrow margin: escaped by inches.
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 inch

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. 2019

Examples from the Web for inching

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|DAILY BEAST
Another clue that the royal relationship might be inching forwards.
Cressy's Brother's Fears For Her Safety|Tom Sykes|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST
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|DAILY BEAST

Inching towards the opposing positions will never bridge the yawning chasm between them.
The Reality Behind Kerry's Optimism|Matthew Kalman|July 1, 2013|DAILY BEAST
He'd get one finger into a hole and pull, inching his body against the beam.
A Matter of Proportion|Anne Walker
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
Inching himself along, he came to the small door which had been cut into the hold to connect with the main hatch.
Blackbeard: Buccaneer|Ralph D. Paine
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
Devil Chad was inching forward, his head still bent; and when he had advanced a foot, he sprang.
The Spell of the White Sturgeon|James Arthur Kjelgaard

British Dictionary definitions for inching

inch

/ (ɪntʃ) /

noun

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot or 0.0254 metre

meteorol

an amount of precipitation that would cover a surface with water one inch deepfive inches of rain fell in January
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 for inch

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

inch

/ (ɪntʃ) /

noun

Scot and Irish a small island

Word Origin for inch

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

"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).

Science definitions for inching

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

inch

noun

verb (used with or without object)

RELATED CONTENT

RELATED WORDS

Nearby words

Idioms

Origin of inch

Examples from the Web for inching

inch

noun

verb

Word Origin for inch

inch

noun

Word Origin for inch

inch

inch

inch

inch

inch