Etymology From Middle English ynche, enche, from Old English ynċe, borrowed from Latin uncia (“Roman inch, various similar units”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”). Doublet of ounce, uncia, onça, onza, oka, ouguiya, and awqiyyah.
1
An English unit of length equal to 1/12 of a foot or 2.54 cm.
The sledges of the Esquimaux are of large size, varying from six and a half to nine and even eleven feet in length, and from eighteen inches to two feet in breadth.1873, Charles Tomlinson, chapter III, in Winter in the Arctic Regions and Summer in the Antarctic Regions, London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge, →OCLC, page 122:
The term "precision measurement" […] refers to the art of reproducing and controlling dimensions expressed in thousandths of an inch or smaller.1939, The Department of Education of International Business Machines Corporation, chapter I, in Precision Measurement in the Metal Working Industry, first paperback binding edition, Syracuse, N.Y.: Syracuse University Press, published 1978, →ISBN, →OCLC, page 1:
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He describes the operation thus: "The heavy ram employed to impart the finishing strokes, hoisted up with double purchase and snail's pace to the summit of the Piling Engine, and then falling down like a thunderbolt on the head of the devoted timber, driving it perhaps a single half inch in to the stratum below, is well calculated to put to the test the virtue of patience, while it illustrates the old adage of—slow and sure."1952 July, W. R. Watson, “Sankey Viaduct and Embankment”, in Railway Magazine, page 487:
Kate Merrill: Do you ever regret it, Liz? Liz Frances: The divorce? Not as much as I regret the marriage. I miss about eight inches of Larry. I'm not referring to the diameter of his brain.1999 February 3, Anthony Horowitz & al., "Strangler's Wood", Midsomer Murders
Youth worker Rob, 25, is 5’ 3” tall but measures 6’ 6” around his girth – just an inch less than the height of England’s beanpole striker Peter Crouch.2012 March 7, Richard Smith, “I'm wider than I am tall: 35 stone Rob measures 6ft 6in around his waist”, in Daily Mirror, archived from the original on 16 May 2026:
One rule of thumb is that the width of an adult thumb can approximate a length of one inch.
Beldame, I think we watched you at an inch.1591 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Second Part of Henry the Sixt, […]”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies. […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene iv]:
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[B]e the consequences what they may, they shall not move an inch, nor a hair's-breadth from the ground of their groundless spiritual independence, […]1840, Lewis Rose, chapter III, in An Humble Attempt to Put an End to the Present Divisions in the Church of Scotland, and to Promote Her Usefulness. […] , Glasgow: George Gallie, →OCLC, page 51:
3
Any of various similar units of length in other traditional systems of measurement.
At the time of Augustus, the Roman inch was standardized at a length about 3% shorter than the modern English one.
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Climatology, Meteorology, Natural sciences A depth of one inch on the ground, used as a measurement of rainfall.
Let us consider what one inch of rain really means. If an acre of land were covered with water to the depth of only the tenth part of an inch, that layer of water would weigh more than 10 tons: thus 1 inch of rain is ten times that amount—in fact, very nearly 101 tons.1880, Arthur Herbert Church, Food: Some Account of Its Sources, Constituents and Uses, London: Chapman and Hall, page 14:
Expect around 2 inches of rain on Saturday afternoon.
5
A depth of one inch in a glass, used as a rough measurement of alcoholic beverages.
My partner only drinks about a 1 inch pour with dinner, leaving the rest of the bottle for me.
Etymology From Middle English ynche, enche, from Old English ynċe, borrowed from Latin uncia (“Roman inch, various similar units”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *óynos (“one”). Doublet of ounce, uncia, onça, onza, oka, ouguiya, and awqiyyah.
1
Followed by a preposition To advance very slowly, or by a small amount (in a particular direction).
Fearful of falling, he inched along the window ledge.
On reaching the section under construction they must be capable of inching the train forward on rough track up gradients as steep as 1 in 30.1951 October, “London Transport Battery Locomotives”, in Railway Magazine, page 659:
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The window blind had been lowered — Zooey had done all his bathtub reading by the light from the three-bulb overhead fixture—but a fraction of morning light inched under the blind and onto the title page of the manuscript.1957, J. D. Salinger, “Zooey”, in Franny and Zooey, published 1961:
Already guarding a 1-0 lead from the first leg, Blackpool inched further ahead when Stephen Dobbie scored from an acute angle on the stroke of half-time. The game appeared to be completely beyond Birmingham’s reach three minutes into the second period when Matt Phillips reacted quickly to bundle the ball past Colin Doyle and off a post.2012 May 9, John Percy, “Birmingham City 2 Blackpool 2 (2-3 on agg): match report”, in the Telegraph:
2
To drive by inches, or small degrees.
He gets too far into the soldier's grace / And inches out my master.1692, John Dryden, Cleomenes, the Spartan Hero, a Tragedy:
I still remember Donald Duck sit next to him after NG dog being 'Done'd to F.2 building... he is still very Inch in Year 1983-4 teaching me RS1994 May 29, Albert Ng, soc.culture.hongkong (Usenet):
The service was professional but very "inch". We were served by a Cantonese speaking local. The waiter asked if we wanted water without telling us it costs $75 for just water!!2006 June 12, killgirl, OpenRice:
Synonyms
inchy
inch
noun
Etymology From Scots inch, from Scottish Gaelic innis.
The blackening wave is edged with white; / To inch and rock the sea-mews fly.1805, Walter Scott, “(please specify the page)”, in The Lay of the Last Minstrel: A Poem, London: […] [James Ballantyne] for Longman, Hurst, Rees, and Orme, […], and A[rchibald] Constable and Co., […], →OCLC:
An ivy-clad farmhouse surrounded by trees, it stood on the sunny side of a sloping hill at the foot of which the Darigle river curved its way through gold-furzed inches to disappear under a stone bridge into the woods beyond.1988, Alice Taylor, To School Through the Fields: An Irish Country Childhood, Brandon Ltd, →ISBN, page 6:
As these calves grew older they did not need to return to the farmyard for feeding as they were able to eat sufficient grass for themselves. They were then kept in the fields, known as the inches, along by the river[,] where they grew strong[,] and during the winter cold when grass was scarce[,] hay was carried down to them.1988, Alice Taylor, To School Through the Fields: An Irish Country Childhood, Brandon Ltd, →ISBN, page 22:
Derived terms
Inchlonaig, King's Inch, Kirkinch
inch
verb
Etymology Semantic loan from Cantonese 寸 (cyun³, “inch”), which is an alternative form of 串 (cyun³, “cocky; to provoke; etc.”).
1
Hong Kong, Colloquial to burn (to insult); to speak in a cocky and cheeky manner
Sorry for changing the intention of the post last time; it was for nothing but the personal joy and satisfaction of "inch"-ing the person who criticized my writing while he/she can't even write. (no hard feelings, alright?!) I'd avoid that in the future. I'll try to make this a constructive discussion and be as objective as possible.1994 March 4, tp...@vmsb.is.csupomona.edu, soc.culture.hongkong.entertainment (Usenet):