▪ I. pinching, vbl. n.
(ˈpɪn(t)ʃɪŋ)
[f. pinch v. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb, in various senses.
1. a. Compression between the tips of the finger and thumb or other opposing surfaces; nipping, squeezing, pressure; spec. in the manège (see quot. 1727–41); in Hort., (see pinch v. 2 b).
| 1693 Evelyn De la Quint. Compl. Gard. I. 10 Besides the Pruning..we sometimes perform another Operation which we call Pinching or Breaking..: The Effect of this Pinching is to hinder the Branches from growing too thick..as also from growing too long. 1706 London & Wise Retir'd Gard. I. ii. v, The pinching of Peach-trees is a sort of Pruning, which is done by the Nails to Three or Four Eyes upon a new tender Shoot. 1727–41 Chambers Cycl., Pinching, in the manage, is when, the horse standing, the rider holds him fast with the bridle-hand, and applies the spurs just to the hairs of his sides, without pricking him. 1823 J. Badcock Dom. Amusem. 113 Repeated pinchings, left the patient in comparative ease. 1899 Westm. Gaz. 29 Mar. 5/3 They [railway employés]..were..disposed to make light of risks.. invariably referred to the horrible death between the buffers as ‘pinching’. |
b. concr. pl. What is pinched or nipped
off.
| 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 89/2 Twitchings, ends of Horse-shooe Nails cut off. Pinchings, because pinched and writhen off from the out side of the hoof with the Pincers. |
2. The sensation caused by pinching or gripping; the pressure of pain. Also
fig.| 1495 Trevisa's Barth. De P.R. v. xxxiii. (W. de W.) iv b/2 A lityl pryckyng other pinching in þe brest within is more sore than a grete wounde in þe arme. 1587 Fleming Contn. Holinshed III. 1588/2 That other needfull vittels shall..grow to excessiue prices, to the pinching of the poorer sort. 1790 J. C. Smyth in Med. Commun. II. 518 Patients have complained of slight griping, or pinching in their bowels. |
† 3. The action of cavilling or finding fault.
Obs.| c 1530 L. Cox Rhet. (1899) 51 By pynchynge and blamynge of our aduersarie. |
4. Stinting as from straitened means; parsimony.
| c 1440 Promp. Parv. 400/1 Pynchynge (or nyggardshepe). 1531 Elyot Gov. iii. xxii, Moche pinchyng and nygardshyppe of meate and drinke. 1653 Urquhart Rabelais i. iv. 23 There should be no want nor pinching for any thing. 1863 C. M. Yonge C'tess Kate ii, There would not be so much pinching in the housekeeping. |
5. In various other senses: see the verb.
| 1859 F. A. Griffiths Artil. Man. (1862) 110 Pinching is the operation of moving a gun or mortar by small heaves of the handspike. 1903 Westm. Gaz. 17 June 9/1 The pinching out of the reef in the Chicago level. |
6. Comb.:
pinching-bar = pinch-bar (
pinch-);
pinching bug = pinch-bug;
† pinching-iron, (
a)
sing. and pl., pincers, tweezers; (
b)
pl. curling-tongs;
pinching-nut = jam nut (
jam n.1);
pinching-pin, in the steam-engine, a pin which keeps the slide-valve tightened on its seating;
† pinching-post, in coursing deer in a paddock, the post marking the point which the deer had to pass before a victory could be claimed for either dog;
pinching-screw, a screw which adjusts or fixes parts of a mechanism by compression;
pinching-tongs (see
quot.).
| 1850 L. H. Garrard Wah-to-Yah xix. 253 Noah was so hurried to git the yelaphants, *pinchin bugs, an' sich varment aboard. 1877 R. J. Burdette Rise & Fall of Mustache 77 That Bilderback boy..put a pinching-bug as big as a postage-stamp down a boy's back. 1928 Metcalf & Flint Destructive & Useful Insects i. 16 A certain amount of pain may result from mere mechanical injury by insects as when a boy finds a ‘pinching bug’ for the first time. 1954 Borror & Delong Introd. Study Insects xxii. 381 These large brownish beetles [sc. stag beetles] are sometimes called pinchingbugs because of the large mandibles of the male. |
| 1519 W. Horman Vulg. 169 b, They..plucke out theyr hearis with *pynchynge yrons. 1789 Mrs. Piozzi Journ. France I. 277 Heating the pinching-irons to curl my hair. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., *Pinching-nut, a jam-nut screwed down upon another nut, to hold it in position. |
| 1839 R. S. Robinson Naut. Steam Eng. 105 The cap and *pinching pin, by which the clutch is secured to it. |
| 1741 Compl. Fam. Piece ii. i. 309 The third the Half Mile Post: The fourth the *Pinching Post. 1840 D. P. Blaine Encycl. Rur. Sports (1870) §1953 If the deer swerved before he got to the pinching-post..it was deemed no match. |
| 1837 Goring & Pritchard Microgr. 9 A spring tube travelling on a slide, with a *pinching screw underneath, by which it is adjusted at a proper distance from the object. 1884 C. G. W. Lock Workshop Receipts Ser. iii 89/2 Nickel-plated caps, split and held by pinching screws to the carbon and zinc rods. |
| 1875 Knight Dict. Mech., *Pinching-tongs (Glass making), used for making chandelier drops, etc. Each jaw of the tongs carries a die, between which a lump of glass heated to plasticity is compressed. |
Senses 5, 6 in
Dict. become 6, 7. Add:
5. Naut. Sailing or steering too close to the wind, or closer than is generally advisable.
Cf. luffing vbl. n. s.v. luff v. and
pinch v. 12 b.
| 1958 J. Fisher et al. Sailing i. 6 Some people, particularly when racing, are so anxious to press on against the wind that they perpetually luff up too far—a fault which is known as ‘pinching’. 1965 E. A. Pearson Lure of Spring ii. 55 The jib is generally the first to show signs of pinching; it will flutter at the luff. 1987 Sci. Amer. Aug. 27/2 By pinching, or steering closer to the true wind, the yachtsman can shorten the distance through the water. |
▪ II. pinching, ppl. a. (adv.) (
ˈpɪn(t)ʃɪŋ)
[f. pinch v. + -ing2.] That pinches, in senses of the verb.
1. Compressing between two surfaces; squeezing.
| 1883 Daily News 10 May 5/1 Their narrow waists, their pinching shoes. |
2. Causing pain or distress, physical or mental (likened to the effect of pressure); pressing severely or painfully; reducing to straits; distressing.
| 1565 Cooper Thesaurus s.v. Aculeus, The pinchyng cares and griefe of minde. 1579 Spenser Sheph. Cal. Apr. 18 Ys loue such pinching payne? 1583 Stubbes Anat. Abus. ii. (1882) 52 They applie..gnawing corrosiues, and pinching plaistures. 1667 Milton P.L. x. 691 Pinching cold and scorching heate. 1753 Stewart's Trial 222 These circumstances are so pinching against the pannel, upon the capital point now in issue. 1822–34 Good's Study Med. (ed. 4) III. 276 Severe and pinching hunger. 1883 Stevenson Treas. Isl. i. ii, One January morning,..a pinching, frosty morning. |
3. Characterized by or involving stinting or parsimony, straitened; niggardly, parsimonious, grudging; restrained, very sparing.
| 1576 Fleming Panopl. Epist. 49, I was more pinching and sparing in my writing concerning them. 1583 Babington Commandm. viii. (1637) 80 Of malice and spite, or by a pinching minde. 1621 T. Williamson tr. Goulart's Wise Vieillard 73 Sometimes shee is all for belly cheare and banquettings,..then shee is niggardly and pinching againe. 1724 Swift Reas. agst. Exam. Drugs ¶6 Persons in pinching circumstances with numerous families of children. 1807 Crabbe Par. Reg. i. 447 Sparing, not pinching, mindful, though not mean. |
4. Contracted, compressed, narrow;
spec. in
Mining (see
pinch v. 14).
| a 1617 Hieron Wks. I. 7 It is a great eye-sore, to see a little, low, and pinching entry to a large and spacious dwelling. 1793 Wollaston in Phil. Trans. LXXXIII. 146 To..make the angle less pinching. 1898 M. Davitt Life & Progr. Australia i. iii. 13 That these fields were of the ‘pocket’ and pinching-out character. |
† 5. Mus. ? Applied to higher notes (harmonics) produced on a wind instrument by stronger pressure of breath.
Obs. rare.
| 1688 R. Holme Armoury iii. 161/1 Wind Musick Pinching Notes or higher Notes, are sounds that ascend 8 Notes higher than the plain notes. |
B. as
adv. = pinchingly.
| 1620 Venner Via Recta (1650) 225 When the weather is pinching cold. 1698 Fryer Acc. E. India & P. 295 It is pinching Cold, from January to the middle of February. |
Hence
ˈpinchingly adv., in a pinching manner.
| 1574 T. Cartwright Full Declar. 113 We ought not to deale with them sparingly, couetouslye, and pinchingly. 1690 Sharpe Wks. (1754) I. Serm. vii. 190 Giving stingily and pinchingly, now and then a little pocket-money or so. 1825 R. Ward Tremaine III. xiii. 233, I have felt that case..as pinchingly as..you would have me. 1859 Ruskin Arrows of Chace I. 202 Our colleges..are..richly built, never pinchingly. |