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)
-
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
-
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:
"I'm not going to deny that every inch of your body wants that cat back," she said.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2026
Basin’s highest rain totals at about an inch and a half.
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
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 Himalayan mountains rise about a third of an inch per year—fingernails grow more than twice as fast.
From "Mountain of Fire" by Rebecca E. F. Barone
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
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
These visions are known as Lilliputian hallucinations, named after the miniature inhabitants of "Gulliver's Travels," who stand just 6 inches tall.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 25, 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
Had the snowhook not scraped down four or five inches I never would have found it.
From "Woodsong" by Gary Paulsen
Discretionary services remained the strongest category, and spending on gasoline was up sharply alongside a rise in fuel prices, but outlays on discretionary goods inched down.
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
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
Oil prices inched up following Monday's drop of almost two percent, though Saudi Aramco's chief executive Amin Nasser, speaking after the G7 release, warned over global stockpiles.
From Barron's ● Oct. 6, 2026
I inched closer, and the smell grew stronger.
From "Klawde: Evil Alien Warlord Cat" by Johnny Marciano and Emily Chenoweth
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
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
A wave of corporate warnings and technical disclosures has flooded the media, with headlines worrying over “swarms” of rogue artificial-intelligence agents launching “unprecedented” cyberattacks, outsmarting their makers, and inching toward a terrifying autonomy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
Everybody inching along, trying to get back home.
From "We Were Here" by Matt De La Peña
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Get a wordDefinitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
