inch

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition

1. n. A unit of length in the U.S. Customary and British Imperial systems, equal to ¹/₁₂ of a foot (2.54 centimeters). See Table at measurement.
2. n. A fall, as of rain or snow, sufficient to cover a surface to the depth of one inch.
3. n. A unit of atmospheric pressure that is equal to the pressure exerted by a one-inch column of mercury at the earth's surface at a temperature of 0°C.
4. n. A very small degree or amount: won't budge an inch.
5. v. To move or cause to move slowly or by small degrees: inching along through stalled traffic; inched the chair forward.
6. idiom. every inch In every respect; entirely: "Ay, every inch a king!” ( Shakespeare).
7. idiom. inch by inch Very gradually or slowly.
8. idiom. within an inch of Almost to the point of: came within an inch of death.
9. n. Scots A small island.

Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia

1. n. A lineal measure, the twelfth part of a foot. It is of Roman origin, and was formerly divided into 12 lines. The text-books of arithmetic, following an old statute, divide the inch into 3 barleycorns. A binary division is most common in rough mechanical work, while for finer work it is divided into thousandths (as in gunnery), or even into ten-thousandths (by makers of gages only). The English inch is equal to 2.54 centimeters. The old Scotch inch was slightly longer than the English, being one thirty-seventh part of the Edinburgh ellwand. See foot, 10. Abbreviated in.
2. n. Proverbially, a small quantity or degree; the least part or amount.
3. n. A critical moment.
4. Measuring an inch in any dimension, whether length, breadth, or thickness.
5. To drive or force by inches or small degrees: as, to inch one's way along.
6. To deal out by inches; give sparingly.
7. To mark with lines an inch apart.
8. To advance or retire by small degrees; move reluctantly or by inches: as, to inch away from the fire.
9. n. An island. Inch is an element frequent in names of small islands belonging to Scotland: as, Inchcolm, Inchkeith. It appears also in many names of places on the mainland, which before the last elevation of central Scotland were islands: as, the Inches of Perth. In Irish names it appears in the forms Innis, Ennis.
10. n. Abbreviations of inchoative.

Wiktionary

1. n. A unit of length equal to one-twelfth of a foot and equivalent to exactly 2.54 centimetres.
2. n. meteorology The amount of water which would cover a surface to the depth of an inch, used as a measurement of rainfall.
3. n. figuratively A very short distance.
4. v. intransitive, followed by a preposition To move very slowly (in a particular direction).

GNU Webster's 1913

1. n. Scot. An island; -- often used in the names of small islands off the coast of Scotland
2. n. A measure of length, the twelfth part of a foot, commonly subdivided into halves, quarters, eights, sixteenths, etc., as among mechanics. It was also formerly divided into twelve parts, called lines, and originally into three parts, called barleycorns, its length supposed to have been determined from three grains of barley placed end to end lengthwise. It is also sometimes called a prime ('), composed of twelve seconds (''), as in the duodecimal system of arithmetic.
3. n. A small distance or degree, whether of time or space; hence, a critical moment; also used metaphorically of minor concessins in bargaining.
4. v. rare To drive by inches, or small degrees.
5. v. rare To deal out by inches; to give sparingly.
6. v. To advance or retire by inches or small degrees; to move slowly.
7. adj. Measuring an inch in any dimension, whether length, breadth, or thickness; -- used in composition

WordNet 3.0

1. v. advance slowly, as if by inches
2. n. a unit of measurement for advertising space
3. n. a unit of length equal to one twelfth of a foot