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Dictionarypinchtight squeeze
verb / noun

pinch

PINCH/pɪntʃ/

A tight squeeze between fingers or opposing surfaces.

A man pinches a soft foam ball between his thumb and index finger.

Close-up of a man's thumb and index finger tightly pinching a soft foam ball, making a deep, narrow indentation between the opposing fingertips.
Etymology
pinchOld Frenchto pinch, squeeze

Old French pincier already meant squeezing or nipping. Early English used pinch for plucking an eyebrow, alongside the later familiar sense of compressing something between fingers or opposing surfaces.

In context

Chinese Cooking Demystified9:03
Just toss about ten grams of filling into the center of your wrapper, pull up the sides up like a taco, and pinch them together.
The key to great dumplings

More examples

  • He gives my arm a playful pinch.
  • These new shoes pinch my toes.
  • She pinches the edges of the dough together.

Forms

pinch · pinches · pinched · pinching

Similar words

squeeze
Applies to broader pressure, not just a narrow contact point.
nip
Suggests a quick, sharp squeeze, often causing brief pain.