Pinch (Verb)
Meaning 1
Squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her behind"; "She squeezed the bottle".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She gently pinched the skin to see if it was tender to the touch.
- He accidentally pinched his finger in the doorway as the door swung shut.
- The mother pinched her son's ear for pulling his sister's hair.
- To wake up her sleeping friend, she had to pinch him several times.
- Between his thumb and index finger, he carefully pinched the delicate flower petal.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 2
Irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear; "smooth surfaces can vellicate the teeth"; "the pain is as if sharp points pinch your back".
Classification
Verbs of size, temperature change, intensifying, etc..
Examples
- Rough fabric may pinch your skin and cause discomfort after prolonged use.
- Dry air can pinch the skin and make it feel tight and flaky.
- A lack of sleep can sometimes pinch the eyes, making them feel strained and puffy.
- Although the massage therapist was experienced, certain pressure points still seemed to pinch my muscles.
- His constant complaining began to pinch on my patience and I found myself getting irritated.
Synonyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
Make ridges into by pinching together.
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal the pie crust and create a decorative border.
- To form the wonton, pinch the corners of the wrapper together, making a neat triangle.
- The chef gently pinched the dough together to create small ridges around the empanada's edge.
- She carefully pinched the seam of the dumpling wrapper to seal in the filling.
- By pinching the dough together, the baker created a crinkled texture on the bread's surface.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Hyponyms
Related Words
Meaning 4
Make off with belongings of others.
Classification
Verbs of buying, selling, owning.
Examples
- The thief would pinch valuables from unsuspecting tourists in the crowded market.
- She had a habit of pinching small items from her friends, thinking they wouldn't notice.
- He was known to pinch expensive jewelry from his wealthy relatives.
- The young boy would pinch items from the store, hoping to get away with it.
- The pickpocket specialized in pinching phones from people's pockets in busy public transport.
Synonyms
Hypernyms
Meaning 5
Cut the top off; "top trees and bushes".
Classification
Verbs of touching, hitting, tying, digging.
Examples
- She pinched off the top of the young sapling to control its growth and encourage branching.
- Gardeners should pinch the terminal buds to promote bushy growth in flowering shrubs.
- To ensure the trees grow evenly, pinch off the leading shoots at the top of the main stem.
- Pinch the top inch off the branches to stimulate the stem to produce new growth and branches.
- It's crucial to pinch off the tips of the stems when the plant is around six inches tall to encourage branching.