Pinch vs Clinch - What's the difference?
pinch | clinch |
To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
To steal, usually of something almost trivial or inconsequential.
* {{quote-news
, year=2012
, date=May 13
, author=Alistair Magowan
, title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd
, work=BBC Sport
(slang) To arrest or capture.
(horticulture) To cut shoots]] or [[bud, buds of a plant in order to shape the plant, or to improve its yield.
(nautical) To sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter.
(hunting) To take hold; to grip, as a dog does.
(obsolete) To be niggardly or covetous.
* Franklin
To seize; to grip; to bite; said of animals.
* Chapman
(figurative) To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.
* Sir Walter Raleigh
To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch.
The action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
A small amount of powder or granules, such that the amount could be held between fingertip and thumb tip.
An awkward situation of some kind (especially money or social) which is difficult to escape.
* 1955 , edition, ISBN 0553249592, page 171:
An organic herbal smoke additive.
To clasp; to interlock.
To make certain; to finalize.
*{{quote-news
, year=2011
, date=October 29
, author=Neil Johnston
, title=Norwich 3 - 3 Blackburn
, work=BBC Sport
To fasten securely or permanently.
To bend and hammer the point of (a nail) so it cannot be removed.
To embrace passionately.
To hold firmly; to clench.
* Dryden
To set closely together; to close tightly.
Any of several fastenings.
The act or process of holding fast; that which serves to hold fast; a grip or grasp.
(obsolete) A pun.
(nautical) A hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.
A passionate embrace.
In nautical terms the difference between pinch and clinch
is that pinch is to sail so close-hauled that the sails begin to flutter while clinch is a hitch or bend by which a rope is made fast to the ring of an anchor, or the breeching of a ship's gun to the ringbolts.In obsolete terms the difference between pinch and clinch
is that pinch is to be niggardly or covetous while clinch is a pun.As verbs the difference between pinch and clinch
is that pinch is to squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while clinch is to clasp; to interlock.As nouns the difference between pinch and clinch
is that pinch is the action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while clinch is any of several fastenings.pinch
English
Verb
(es)- The children were scolded for pinching each other.
- This shoe pinches my foot.
- Someone has pinched my handkerchief!
citation, page= , passage=Then, as the Sunderland fans' cheers bellowed around the stadium, United's title bid was over when it became apparent City had pinched a last-gasp winner to seal their first title in 44 years.}}
- (Gower)
- the wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare
- He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.
- to be pinched for money
- want of room pinching a whole nation
Noun
(es)- It took nerve and muscle both to carry the body out and down the stairs to the lower hall, but he damn well had to get it out of his place and away from his door, and any of those four could have done it in a pinch', and it sure was a ' pinch .
Derived terms
* feel the pinch * in a pinch * at a pinch * pinchy * take with a pinch of saltDescendants
* Japanese: (pinchi)clinch
English
Verb
(es)- I already planned to buy the car, but the color was what really clinched it for me.
citation, page= , passage=Vincent Kompany was sent off after conceding a penalty that was converted by Stephen Hunt to give Wolves hope. But Adam Johnson's curling shot in stoppage time clinched the points.}}
- Clinch the pointed spear.
- to clinch the teeth or the fist
- (Jonathan Swift)
Noun
(es)- to get a good clinch of an antagonist, or of a weapon
- to secure anything by a clinch
- (Alexander Pope)