- 1an act of squeezing a part of someone's skin tightly between your thumb and finger, especially in order to hurt them She gave him a pinch on the arm to wake him up. small amount
- 2the amount of something that you can hold between your finger and thumb a pinch of salt Idioms
with thumb and finger
to not have enough money Lots of people who have lost their jobs are starting to feel the pinch.
used to say that something could be done or used in a particular situation if it is really necessary We can get six people around this table in a pinch. The recipe is for beef, but in a pinch you could use chicken.
to be careful about believing that something is completely true If I were you, I'd take everything he says with a grain of salt.
Check pronunciation: pinch