pinch

 Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English 5++朗文当代英语 5++LDOCE 5++朗文 5++pinch1 /pɪntʃ/ ●○○ verb  1  [transitive]PRESS to press a part of someone’s skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts 捏，掐，夹 We have to stop her pinching her baby brother. 我们不能让她再掐她小弟弟了。 He pinched her cheek. 他捏了一下她的脸颊。► see thesaurus at hurt2  STEAL[transitive] British English informal to steal something, especially something small or not very valuable 偷窃〔尤指小物品或不很值钱的东西〕 Someone’s pinched my coat! 有人偷了我的外套！► see thesaurus at steal3  [transitive] to press something between your finger and thumb 捏住；捏紧 Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal it. 把馅饼的边缘捏紧封口。4  [intransitive, transitive]PRESS if something you are wearing pinches you, it presses painfully on part of your body, because it is too tight 〔穿的鞋等〕夹痛，挤痛 Her new shoes were pinching. 她的新鞋挤脚。5  somebody has to pinch themselves used when a situation is so surprising that the person involved needs to make sure that they are not imagining it 某人得掐自己一下〔以证实某情况是真实的〕 Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream. 有时候她得掐自己一下，以证明这一切不是在做梦。6  [transitive] British English old-fashionedCATCH to arrest someone 逮捕，拘捕n Grammar Pinch is usually passive in this meaning.7 pinch something ↔ out phrasal verb to remove a small part of a plant with your fingers 掐掉，摘掉 Pinch out any side shoots to make the plant grow upwards. 把边上的芽都掐掉，让这株植物往上长。→ See Verb table

Examples from the Corpus

pinch• She pinched her own arm until it was black and blue.• It was one of the slimmest, and the envelopes in it were pinched in slightly by the pressure of the bands.• Dad! Katy just pinched me!• Stop pinching me!• These shoes pinch my toes.• These fellows for fun would pinch one and put it on another step, and do this going all down the road.• He pinched some out and cleaned it on a crumpled paper bag, not knowing what to say.• He pinched the last quarter inch of his cigarette tightly, and sucked on it so hard it squeaked.pinch2 noun [countable]  1  pinch of salt/pepper etc LITTLE/NOT VERYa small amount of salt, pepper etc that you can hold between your finger and thumb 一撮盐/胡椒粉等 Add a pinch of salt to taste. 加一撮盐来调味。2  PRESSwhen you press someone’s skin between your finger and thumb 捏，掐，夹 She gave him a playful pinch. 她开玩笑地捏了他一把。3  at a pinch British English, in a pinch American EnglishNEED used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation 必要时；在紧要关头 There’s space for three people. Four at a pinch. 有三个人的空间，必要时可以挤四个人。 If you’re in a pinch, I’m sure they’d look after Jenny for a while. 如果你有急事，我确信他们会照顾珍妮一段时间。4  take something with a pinch of salt BELIEVEused to say that you should not always completely believe what a particular person says 对某事半信半疑，对某事不完全相信 You have to take what he says with a pinch of salt. 他的话你可不能全信。5  feel the pinch POORto have financial difficulties, especially because you are not making as much money as you used to make 〔尤指因赚钱不如以前多而〕感到拮据 Local stores and businesses are beginning to feel the pinch. 当地的商店和公司开始感到手头有点紧。

Examples from the Corpus

pinch• Grandma gave us both a pinch on the cheek.• Among insurance companies, he could win any case in a pinch.• Not quirky little ritual habit-forming, like throwing a pinch of spilled salt over your shoulder, but slow suicide habit-forming.• I take all that fame with a pinch of salt.• Mark on veins and pinch base together to shape.• Duquette, pinch hitting for manager Kevin Kennedy, voiced his views at a BoSox Club luncheon.• Hunt evening coat, waistcoat fitting him with the same exact pinch as waistcoats had when he was twenty.• At significant times in the day we have got real pinch points on corridors, particularly motorways.• Small businesses dependent on the government also are feeling the pinch.Origin pinch1 (1200-1300) From an unrecorded Old North French pinchier

pinch1 verb →n GRAMMAR1pinch2 nounLDOCE OnlineChinese  

Corpus skin tightly to someone’s of a press part very

pinch

I

pinch¹ /pɪntʃ/ verb1. [transitive] to press a part of someone’s skin very tightly between your finger and thumb, especially so that it hurts:
    We have to stop her pinching her baby brother.
    He pinched her cheek.
2. [transitive] British English informal to steal something, especially something small or not very valuable:
    Someone’s pinched my coat!
3. [transitive] to press something between your finger and thumb:
    Pinch the edges of the pastry together to seal it.
4. [intransitive and transitive] if something you are wearing pinches you, it presses painfully on part of your body, because it is too tight:
    Her new shoes were pinching.
5. somebody has to pinch themselves used when a situation is so surprising that the person involved needs to make sure that they are not imagining it:
    Sometimes she had to pinch herself to make sure it was not all a dream.
6. [transitive usually passive] British English old-fashioned to arrest someone
     
pinch something ↔ out phrasal verb
  to remove a small part of a plant with your fingers:
    Pinch out any side shoots to make the plant grow upwards.

II

pinch² noun [countable]
1. pinch of salt/pepper etc a small amount of salt, pepper etc that you can hold between your finger and thumb:
    Add a pinch of salt to taste.
2. when you press someone’s skin between your finger and thumb:
    She gave him a playful pinch.
3. at a pinch British English, in a pinch American English used to say that you could do something if necessary in a difficult or urgent situation:
    There’s space for three people. Four at a pinch.
    If you’re in a pinch, I’m sure they’d look after Jenny for a while.
4. take something with a pinch of salt used to say that you should not always completely believe what a particular person says:
    You have to take what he says with a pinch of salt.
5. feel the pinch to have financial difficulties, especially because you are not making as much money as you used to make:
    Local stores and businesses are beginning to feel the pinch.