# pinch

> English word · Verb · IPA /pɪnt͡ʃ/ · frequency rank #10,254

## Definitions
1. To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
2. To squeeze between the thumb and forefinger.
3. To squeeze between two objects.
4. Of clothing, to be uncomfortably tight in specific spots.
5. To steal, usually something inconsequential.
6. To arrest or capture.
7. To cut shoots or buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.
8. To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter.
9. To take hold; to grip, as a dog does.
10. To be stingy or covetous; to live sparingly.
11. To seize; to grip; to bite.
12. To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.
13. To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch.
14. To complain or find fault.

## Etymology
From Middle English pinchen, from Old Northern French *pinchier (compare Old French pincier, pincer (“to pinch”)), a word of uncertain origin, possibly from Vulgar Latin *pinciāre (“to puncture, pinch”), from a merger of *punctiāre (“to puncture, sting”), from Latin punctiō (“a puncture, prick”) and *piccāre (“to strike, sting”), from Frankish *pikkōn, from Proto-Germanic *pikkōną (“to pick, peck, prick”). More at point, pick and pitch.

## Easily confused with
- **PNC** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pnc)
- **pink** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pink)
- **pine** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pine)
- **pins** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pins)
- **ping** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-ping)
- **pint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pint)
- **pitch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pitch)
- **punch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-punch)
- **porch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-porch)
- **psych** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-psych)
- **pines** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pines)
- **pouch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pouch)
- **pinky** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pinky)
- **pinto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pinto)
- **pinot** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pinot)
- **pooch** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pooch)
- **pings** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pings)
- **ponce** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-ponce)
- **Pinoy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pinoy)
- **pinus** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pinch-vs-pinus)

## Common misspellings (8)
`ipnch`, `picnh`, `pincch`, `pinchh`, `pinhc`, `pinnch`, `pnich`, `ppinch`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pinch