inch

noun

An English unit of length equal to 1/12 of a foot or 2.54 cm, conceived as roughly the width of a thumb.

(figuratively) Any very short distance.

(meteorology) A depth of one inch on the ground, used as a measurement of rainfall.

A depth of one inch in a glass, used as a rough measurement of alcoholic beverages.

Any of various similar units of length in other traditional systems of measurement.

(Scotland, Ireland) A small island; an islet.

(Scotland, Ireland) A meadow, pasture, field, or haugh.

A town in County Wexford, Ireland.

verb

(intransitive, followed by a preposition) To advance very slowly, or by a small amount (in a particular direction).

To drive by inches, or small degrees.

To deal out by inches; to give sparingly.

(Hong Kong, colloquial) to burn (to insult); to speak in a cocky and cheeky manner

adjective

(Hong Kong, colloquial) cocky and cheeky

Roots

unciainch- · Latin · twelfth part

Synonyms for inch

hairbreadth

Synonyms & related words for inch

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Words related to inch

Explore words related to inch — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include centimeters, millimeters, archine, inchmeal, diameter, megameter, width, foot. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for inch

Common synonyms for inch include hairbreadth — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does inch come from?

The word inch breaks down into one root of Latin origin: the root inch-, from Latin uncia (“twelfth part”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.