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penny-pinch

transitive verb
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pen·​ny-pinch | \ ˈpenēˌpinch \

Definition of penny-pinch

: to give out money to in a niggardly manner takes a sinister but fascinating kind of joy in … penny-pinching his own family— James Yaffe : deprive of funds by petty economy penny-pinched himself out of … millions of dollars— S. N. Behrman

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History and Etymology for penny-pinch

back-formation from penny pincher

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Cite this Entry

“Penny-pinch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/penny-pinch. Accessed 18 Apr. 2021.

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