Milton FriedmanForbes
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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.
Synonyms
Examples of inch in a Sentence
L.a. Hubilla, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024
Subsidence rates across Mexico City vary substantially, from 20 inches annually to not at all, where the city is built atop solid volcanic rock.
—Matt Simon, WIRED, 10 Apr. 2024
Fuel economy: Not available Wheelbase: 112.2 inches Length: 194.9 inches
Width: 77.8 inches
Height: 70.5 inches
Ground clearance: 9.2 inches
Towing capacity: 6,000 pounds
Assembled in Tahara, Japan
Contact Mark Phelan: 313-222-6731 or mmphelan@freepress.com.
—Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 10 Apr. 2024
Showers and a possible thunderstorm could occur, with additional rainfall between a quarter and half inch possible.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 9 Apr. 2024
On Sunday, the Lakers, playing for every precious inch of space in the Western Conference standings, didn’t have James.
—Austin Knoblauch, Los Angeles Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Guests will have to adhere to NAU’s clear bag policy which only allows clear bags or a 4.5 by 6.5 inch clutch purse.
—The Arizona Republic, 8 Apr. 2024
New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch are possible.
—Claire Reid, Journal Sentinel, 29 Mar. 2024
New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
—Haadiza Ogwude, The Enquirer, 29 Mar. 2024
Tribune News Service, The Mercury News, 11 Apr. 2024
In the campaign's early March poll, Braun inched up to 31%, the undecideds inched down to 24% and appeared to shift toward Doden, who garnered 9%.
—The Indianapolis Star, 11 Apr. 2024
Energy stocks notably stood out as oil prices surge to their highest levels in over six months, inching closer to $90 a barrel.
—Detroit Free Press, 6 Apr. 2024
Travelers can inch closer to World of Hyatt elite status with a special offer this month from Dream Hotels and Thompson Hotels, two of Hyatt’s boutique luxury brands.
—Ramsey Qubein, Condé Nast Traveler, 3 Apr. 2024
The cost of eating out has stubbornly inched higher in the U.S. even as inflation has cooled elsewhere.
—Vanessa Romo, NPR, 1 Apr. 2024
Some good news: Restaurant bills inched up just 0.1% after a flurry of sharper increases tied to big employee wage hikes in response to labor shortages.
—Paul Davidson, USA TODAY, 12 Mar. 2024
Average hourly earnings inched up by 0.1% from December, slower than that 0.3% growth that economists expected.
—Alicia Wallace, CNN, 8 Mar. 2024
The cost of eating out has stubbornly inched higher even as inflation has cooled elsewhere.
—Alina Selyukh, NPR, 30 Mar. 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.
Dictionary Entries Near inch
Cite this Entry
“Inch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/inch. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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inch
2 of 2 verbMedical Definition
inch
noun
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