inch

1 of 3

noun (1)

1
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₃₆ yard see Weights and Measures Table
2
: a small amount, distance, or degree
is like cutting a dog's tail off by inchesMilton Friedman
3
inches plural : stature, height
4
a
: a fall (as of rain or snow) sufficient to cover a surface or to fill a gauge to the depth of one inch
b
: a degree of atmospheric or other pressure sufficient to balance the weight of a column of liquid (such as mercury) one inch high in a barometer or manometer
5
: a small advantage especially from lenient or compassionate treatment
usually used in the phrase give an inch

inch

2 of 3

verb

inched; inching; inches

intransitive verb

: to move by small degrees : progress slowly
the long line of people inching up the stairs

transitive verb

: to cause to move slowly
sooner or later they begin inching prices back upForbes

inch

3 of 3

noun (2)

chiefly Scotland
: island
Phrases
every inch
: to the utmost degree
looks every inch a winner
inch by inch
: very gradually or slowly
within an inch of
: almost to the point of
came within an inch of succeeding

Did you know?

The ancient Romans used a system of weights and measures based on units divided into 12 parts. Thus the Latin uncia, meaning “a 12th part,” designated the 12th part of a foot. From this is derived Old English ince or ynce and modern English inch. The Roman pound was also divided into 12 parts, similarly designated by the word uncia. In this sense uncia followed a different path and became Middle English unce or ounce, which was the 12th part of a pound in the troy system. In the avoirdupois system, which is more widely used, the pound is larger and equals 16 ounces. The English noun inch dates to before the 12th century; the verb meaning “to move very slowly” does not appear until around 1600.

Examples of inch in a Sentence

Verb We inched along in heavy traffic. As she neared the finish line, she inched ahead of the other racers. Gas prices are inching up again. I inched the car into the garage.
Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Cameron Miller, the Milwaukee area saw around an inch to and 1.5 inches. Drew Dawson, Journal Sentinel, 5 Mar. 2024 Two inches could easily fall between these three storms. Jason Samenow, Washington Post, 4 Mar. 2024 That record distance — 76 feet, 2 inches by Fallbrook High School’s Brent Noon in 1990 — is the state’s best and No. 2 nationally. Steve Brand, San Diego Union-Tribune, 4 Mar. 2024 Marson said adding one presidential candidate adds between 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 inches to the ballot. Mary Jo Pitzl, The Arizona Republic, 3 Mar. 2024 Already, as of mid-afternoon, 4-6 inches were reported on the ground from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, AccuWeather said. Christopher Cann, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Bring water to a boil: Place eggs in a large saucepan and add enough water until the eggs are covered by 1-2 inches. Southern Living Test Kitchen, Southern Living, 22 Feb. 2024 It was truly popularized by the 1955 Chevy V8 that started out with 265 cubic inches and eventually became the ubiquitous small block 350. Karl Brauer, Forbes, 22 Feb. 2024 In the last six months, the park has received 4.9 inches of rain, or about 2.5 times its average annual rainfall, according to the National Park Service. Lila Seidman, Los Angeles Times, 21 Feb. 2024
Verb
The two have inched closer to a presidential nomination from their respective parties after wins in the California presidential primary, according to Associated Press projections. Brianna Taylor, Sacramento Bee, 6 Mar. 2024 President Joe Biden won Utah's Democratic primary Tuesday night, gaining 30 more delegates that will inch him closer to his party's nomination. USA TODAY, 6 Mar. 2024 But the sector has proved remarkably resilient, with home prices still inching up despite mortgage rates hovering around 6 or 7 percent. Rachel Siegel, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Mountain lions make up for their limited stamina by hunting from ambush; waiting for deer to move closer, or inching close to make a short, quick burst of speed to put them in killing range. Scott Bestul, Field & Stream, 28 Feb. 2024 Elsewhere in Asia, Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was little changed, inching down less than 0.1% to 7,641.50. Yuri Kageyama, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 The number of people who died while on parole in Colorado inched up over the last decade and then spiked during the COVID-19 pandemic, Department of Correction data shows. Shelly Bradbury, The Denver Post, 21 Feb. 2024 The southern shift in the models painted the picture of a narrow axis of heavier snow inching closer to the Interstate 95 corridor. Kathryn Prociv, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2024 Kapri inched closer to release last week when a Broward County judge reinstated his bond on his still-pending state charges. Nancy Dillon, Rolling Stone, 21 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'inch.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun (1)

Middle English, from Old English ynce, from Latin uncia — more at ounce

Noun (2)

Middle English (Scots), from Scottish Gaelic innis

First Known Use

Noun (1)

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1599, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Noun (2)

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of inch was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near inch

Cite this Entry

“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inch. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

inch

1 of 2 noun
1
: a unit of length equal to ¹⁄₃₆ yard (2.54 centimeters) see measure
2
: a small amount, distance, or degree
won't budge an inch
3
: a small advantage especially from kind treatment
usually used in the phrase give an inch
did not give an inch during negotiations

inch

2 of 2 verb
: to move a little bit at a time
Etymology

Noun

Old English ynce "inch," from Latin uncia "a 12th part, ounce," from unus "one" — related to ounce, unite see Word History at ounce

Medical Definition

inch

noun
: a unit of length equal to ¹/₃₆ yard or 2.54 centimeters

More from Merriam-Webster on inch

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