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Pinch vs Puncture - What's the difference?

pinch | puncture |

As verbs the difference between pinch and puncture

is that pinch is to squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while puncture is to pierce; to break through; to tear a hole.

As nouns the difference between pinch and puncture

is that pinch is the action of squeezing a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt while puncture is the act or an instance of puncturing.

pinch

English

Verb

(es)
  • To squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and flesh, making it hurt.
    • The children were scolded for pinching each other.
    This shoe pinches my foot.
  • To steal, usually of something almost trivial or inconsequential.
    • Someone has pinched my handkerchief!
  • * {{quote-news
    • , year=2012 , date=May 13 , author=Alistair Magowan , title=Sunderland 0-1 Man Utd , work=BBC Sport 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.}}
  • (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.
    • (Gower)
  • * Franklin
    • the wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare
  • To seize; to grip; to bite; said of animals.
  • * Chapman
    • He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.
  • (figurative) To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve.
    • to be pinched for money
  • * Sir Walter Raleigh
    • want of room pinching a whole nation
  • To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch.

    • Noun

    (es)
  • 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:
    • 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 .
  • An organic herbal smoke additive.

    • Derived terms

    * feel the pinch * in a pinch * at a pinch * pinchy * take with a pinch of salt

    Descendants

    * Japanese: (pinchi)

    puncture

    English

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • The act or an instance of puncturing.
  • * 2012 , July 15. Richard Williams in Guardian Unlimited, Tour de France 2012: Carpet tacks cannot force Bradley Wiggins off track
    • A tough test for even the strongest climber, it was new to the Tour de France this year, but its debut will be remembered for the wrong reasons after one of those spectators scattered carpet tacks on the road and induced around 30 punctures among the group of riders including Bradley Wiggins, the Tour's overall leader, and his chief rivals.
  • A hole, cut, or tear created by a sharp object.
  • * 2001 , , Dutton, ISBN 0525946284, page 340,
    • Dieter's car had suffered a puncture on the RN3 road between Paris and Meaux. A bent nail was stuck in the tire.
  • * Rambler
    • A lion may perish by the puncture of an asp.

    Synonyms

    * flat tyre; (informal US) flat

    Derived terms

    * puncturer

    Verb

  • To pierce; to break through; to tear a hole.
    • The needle punctured the balloon instantly.

    Derived terms

    * aquapuncture * electropuncture * laserpuncture * punctured interval * punctured neighborhood