inch
- 01 B1 Intermediate
a unit of length equal to 2.54 centimetres. There are 12 inches in one foot.
a unit of linear measure in the imperial and US customary systems, equivalent to 1/12 of a foot or exactly 2.54 centimetres.
Simple“The snow was at least six inches deep by the time we woke up.”
In context“The carpenter measured the gap precisely, noting that it was exactly three-quarters of an inch wider than the replacement panel.”
- 02 B2 Upper Intermediate
a very small distance or amount.
a figurative measure representing an extremely small distance, degree, or margin.
Simple“The car missed the wall by only an inch.”
In context“The two runners were separated by barely an inch as they crossed the finish line, making it one of the closest races in history.”
“The map measures soil moisture down to 100 centimeters, about 40 inches.”
“But higher education has been inching away from entrance exams.”
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.
From Scots inch, from Scottish Gaelic innis.
Semantic loan from Cantonese 寸 (cyun³, “inch”), which is an alternative form of 串 (cyun³, “cocky; to provoke; etc.”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.