inch
1 Americannoun
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a unit of length, 1/12 (0.0833) foot, equivalent to 2.54 centimeters. in.
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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)
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inches,
present (3rd person singular)
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inched,
past participle, past
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inching
present participle
idioms
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every inch, in every respect; completely.
That horse is every inch a thoroughbred.
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within an inch of, nearly; close to.
He came within an inch of getting killed in the crash.
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by inches,
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narrowly; by a narrow margin.
escaped by inches.
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Also inch by inch. by small degrees or stages; gradually.
The miners worked their way through the narrow shaft inch by inch.
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noun
noun
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a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot or 0.0254 metre
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meteorol
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an amount of precipitation that would cover a surface with water one inch deep
five inches of rain fell in January
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a unit of pressure equal to a mercury column one inch high in a barometer
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-
a very small distance, degree, or amount
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in every way; completely
he was every inch an aristocrat
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gradually; little by little
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very close to
verb
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to move or be moved very slowly or in very small steps
the car inched forward
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to defeat (someone) by a very small margin
noun
-
A unit of length in the US Customary System equal to 1/12 of a foot (2.54 centimeters).
-
See Table at measurement
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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inchsimple
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inchessimple
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have inchedperfect
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has inchedperfect
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am inchingprogressive
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are inchingprogressive
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is inchingprogressive
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have been inchingperfect progressive
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has been inchingperfect progressive
Past
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inchedsimple
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had inchedperfect
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was inchingprogressive
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were inchingprogressive
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had been inchingperfect progressive
Future
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."
Vocabulary lists containing inch
Measurement and Data, List 2
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Measurement and Data
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STAAR Grade 5 Mathematics: Measurement
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Most of the Los Angeles coast and metro area saw average rainfall of a quarter of an inch to an inch over the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
Its contemporary design is defined by glass walls boasting breathtaking views of Camelback Mountain, as the surrounding landscape creates a serene environment in every inch of the home.
From MarketWatch ● Nov. 2, 2026
America needs to inch toward rough political health.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 29, 2026
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
The teeth, head, and entire body of a gargantuan wolf passed within an inch of Jack’s face as Phillip pulled both himself and Jack to the ground and out of harm’s way.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Prosecutors said the defendant was aware the trapped cyclist was inches below his feet shortly after the collision in Paddock Lane, Warburton.
From BBC ● Nov. 2, 2026
Downtown Los Angeles saw an average 0.7 inches of rain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026
“You Can See Everything” repeatedly inches right up to the line of suggesting Fielder or Holmes are neurodivergent in some way without overtly saying it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 1, 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
Next to me, Meadowlark is bent almost in half, her nose inches from her work.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 1.1%, or 556 points, while the S&P 500 gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq composite inched 0.1% higher.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 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
Futures for the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 0.25% and S&P 500 futures inched up 0.2%.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 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
As they inched forward the flame actually seemed to lessen a bit...maybe she was running out of breath?
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
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
One sweating plastic cup inching toward permanent damage.
From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026
He pantomimed running instead, inching away until Gloria found herself running after him as he dodged her narrowly, forcing her to veer in helpless circles, little arms outstretched and fanning at the air.
From "I, Robot" by Isaac Asimov
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
