Pinch

1. to squeeze or compress between the finger and thumb, the teeth, the jaws of an instrument, or the like. 2. to constrict or squeeze painfully, as a tight shoe does. 3. to cramp within narrow bounds or quarters: The crowd pinched him into a corner. 4. to render (the face, body, etc.) unnaturally constricted or drawn, as pain or distress does: Years of hardship had pinched her countenance beyond recognition. 5. to affect with sharp discomfort or distress, as cold, hunger, or need does. 6. to straiten in means or circumstances: The depression pinched them. 7. to stint (a person, family, etc.) in allowance of money, food, or the like: They were severely pinched by the drought. 8. to hamper or inconvenience by the lack of something specified: The builders were pinched by the shortage of good lumber. 9. to stint the supply or amount of (a thing). 10. to put a pinch or small quantity of (a powder, spice, etc.) into something. 11. to roll or slide (a heavy object) with leverage from a pinch bar. 12. Slang. to steal. to arrest. 13. Digital Technology. to move two or more fingers toward or away from each other on (a touchscreen) in order to execute a command (often followed by in or out): Zoom in by pinching the screen. 14. Horticulture. to remove or shorten (buds or shoots) in order to produce a certain shape of the plant, improve the quality of the bloom or fruit, or increase the development of buds (often followed by out, off, or back). 15. Nautical. to sail (a ship) so close to the wind that the sails shake slightly and the speed is reduced. 16. Horse Racing, British. to press (a horse) to the point of exhaustion.