1 inch
Pronounced:
/ˈɪntʃ/
Function:
nounInflected forms:
plural inch·esMeaning:
[count] 1 : a unit of measurement equal to 1⁄36 yard or 1⁄12 of a foot (2.54 centimeters) ▪ It measures six inches from top to bottom. ▪ an insect that is an inch long = an inch-long insect ▪ I'm five feet, two inches tall. = I'm five foot two (inches).
2 : a small amount, distance, or degree ▪ The bullet missed my head by inches. [=the bullet came very close to hitting my head] ▪ I begged him to reconsider, but he wouldn't give/budge an inch. [=he wouldn't make even a slight change in his opinion or attitude] ▪ I tried to improve the system, but she opposed me every inch of the way. [=she opposed everything that I tried to do] ▪ We searched every inch of the house. [=we searched the house completely] ◊The expression (if you) give them an inch, (and) they'll take a mile means that if you allow people to have a small amount of something that they want, they will take much more of it. ▪ The school is considering allowing older students to leave the campus for lunch on Fridays, but I'm concerned that if we give them an inch, they'll take a mile. [=students will leave campus more often]
2 : a small amount, distance, or degree ▪ The bullet missed my head by inches. [=the bullet came very close to hitting my head] ▪ I begged him to reconsider, but he wouldn't give/budge an inch. [=he wouldn't make even a slight change in his opinion or attitude] ▪ I tried to improve the system, but she opposed me every inch of the way. [=she opposed everything that I tried to do] ▪ We searched every inch of the house. [=we searched the house completely] ◊The expression (if you) give them an inch, (and) they'll take a mile means that if you allow people to have a small amount of something that they want, they will take much more of it. ▪ The school is considering allowing older students to leave the campus for lunch on Fridays, but I'm concerned that if we give them an inch, they'll take a mile. [=students will leave campus more often]
every inch
: to the highest degree ▪ He's every inch a winner. [=he's a winner in every way]
inch by inch
: by moving very slowly ▪ We made our way inch by inch through the darkened corridor.
within an inch of
: almost to the point of (something) ▪ She came within an inch of death/dying. [=she came very close to dying] ▪ They beat him (to) within an inch of his life. [=they beat him so badly that he nearly died]