pinch /ˈpɪnʧ/
  捏,撮,收縮,壓力,匱乏,緊急關頭(vt.)掐,夾痛,修剪,使困苦,使萎縮
  pinch /ˈpɪnʧ/ 及物動詞
  捏,夾,使痛,折磨
  pinch
  夾
  Pinch v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pinched p. pr. & vb. n. Pinching.]
  1. To press hard or squeeze between the ends of the fingers, between teeth or claws, or between the jaws of an instrument; to squeeze or compress, as between any two hard bodies.
  2. to seize; to grip; to bite; -- said of animals. [Obs.]
     He [the hound] pinched and pulled her down.   --Chapman.
  3. To plait. [Obs.]
     Full seemly her wimple ipinched was.   --Chaucer.
  4. Figuratively: To cramp; to straiten; to oppress; to starve; to distress; as, to be pinched for money.
     Want of room . . . pinching a whole nation.   --Sir W. Raleigh.
  5. To move, as a railroad car, by prying the wheels with a pinch. See Pinch, n., 4.
  6. To seize by way of theft; to steal; to lift. [Slang]
  7. to catch; to arrest (a criminal).
  Pinch, v. i.
  1. To act with pressing force; to compress; to squeeze; as, the shoe pinches.
  2. Hunt. To take hold; to grip, as a dog does. [Obs.]
  3. To spare; to be niggardly; to be covetous.
     The wretch whom avarice bids to pinch and spare.   --Franklin.
  To pinch at, to find fault with; to take exception to. [Obs.]
  --Chaucer.
  Pinch, n.
  1. A close compression, as with the ends of the fingers, or with an instrument; a nip.
  2. As much as may be taken between the finger and thumb; any very small quantity; as, a pinch of snuff.
  3. Pian; pang. “Necessary's sharp pinch.”
  4. A lever having a projection at one end, acting as a fulcrum, -- used chiefly to roll heavy wheels, etc. Called also pinch bar.
  At a pinch, On a pinch, in an emergency; as, he could on a pinch read a little Latin.
  ◄ ►
  pinch
       n 1: a painful or straitened circumstance; "the pinch of the
            recession"
       2: an injury resulting from getting some body part squeezed
       3: a slight but appreciable addition; "this dish could use a
          touch of garlic" [syn: touch, hint, tinge, mite, jot,
           speck, soupcon]
       4: a sudden unforeseen crisis (usually involving danger) that
          requires immediate action; "he never knew what to do in an
          emergency" [syn: emergency, exigency]
       5: small sharp biting [syn: nip]
       6: a squeeze with the fingers [syn: tweak]
       7: the act of apprehending (especially apprehending a
          criminal); "the policeman on the beat got credit for the
          collar" [syn: apprehension, arrest, catch, collar,
           taking into custody]
       v 1: squeeze tightly between the fingers; "He pinched her
            behind"; "She squeezed the bottle" [syn: squeeze, twinge,
             tweet, nip, twitch]
       2: make ridges into by pinching together [syn: crimp]
       3: make off with belongings of others [syn: pilfer, cabbage,
           purloin, abstract, snarf, swipe, hook, sneak,
           filch, nobble, lift]
       4: cut the top off; "top trees and bushes" [syn: top]
       5: irritate as if by a nip, pinch, or tear; "smooth surfaces
          can vellicate the teeth"; "the pain is as if sharp points
          pinch your back" [syn: vellicate]