inch

Plural: inch, inches

Noun

a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot
a unit of measurement for advertising space
An English unit of length equal to 1/12 of a foot or 2.54 cm, conceived as roughly the width of a thumb.
Any very short distance.
Any of various similar units of length in other traditional systems of measurement.
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.
A small island; an islet.
A meadow, pasture, field, or haugh.

Verb

Verb Forms: inched, inching, inches

To move very slowly or gradually.
advance slowly, as if by inches
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.
to burn (to insult); to speak in a cocky and cheeky manner

Adj

cocky and cheeky

Examples

Don't move an inch!
Fearful of falling, he inched along the window ledge.
He would inch his way towards a triple word score, carefully planning each move.

Origin / 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”). Cognate with Middle Dutch enke (“thumb, thumb's width, inch”). Doublet of ounce, uncia, onça, onza, oka, ouguiya, and awqiyyah.

Synonyms

column inch, edge, in, inchy

Scrabble Score: 9

inch: valid Scrabble (US) TWL Word
inch: valid Scrabble Word in Merriam-Webster MW Dictionary
inch: valid Scrabble Word in International Collins CSW Dictionary

Words With Friends Score: 10

inch: valid Words With Friends Word