inch

A2 Topic:Mathematics & Measurement

US /ɪnt͡ʃ/ See IPA manual

Freq #4516

Meanings

1

noun
A unit of length equal to 2.54 cm, about the width of a thumb.

The shelf is twelve inches wide.
2

noun
A very short distance or small amount.

Don't move an inch!
3

verb
To move very slowly, a little at a time.

Afraid of falling, he inched along the narrow ledge.

Verb forms

Verb forms are not available for this word yet.

Thesaurus

Word family

Forms inchedinchesinching

Derived forms acre-inchhalf-inchinch-perfectinchbonnieincherinchfulinchlonaiginchlonginchmealinchwideinchwormkirkinch

Related forms mil thou

Appears in

Phrases (1)

See all

acre inch
a volume equal to water covering one acre to a depth of one inch

Noun + noun

Proverbs (1)

See all

Give an inch, take a mile

Simplified etymology

The unit inch ultimately comes from Latin uncia, meaning “a twelfth part,” the same source as ounce. A separate word inch found in Scottish island names such as Inchcolm comes from Scottish Gaelic innis, “island” or “land beside a river.”

Etymology

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.

ynche Middle English ynċe Old English uncia Latin *óynos Proto-Indo-European

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Mathematics & Measurement

External links

# inch

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A2
**Part of speech:** noun, verb
**IPA (US):** /ɪnt͡ʃ/
**Frequency rank:** 4516

## Meanings
1. A unit of length equal to 2.54 cm, about the width of a thumb.
2. A very short distance or small amount.
3. To move very slowly, a little at a time.

## Examples
- The shelf is twelve inches wide.
- Don't move an inch!
- Afraid of falling, he inched along the narrow ledge.

## Derived Forms
- acre-inch
- half-inch
- inch-perfect
- inchbonnie
- incher
- inchful
- inchlonaig
- inchlong
- inchmeal
- inchwide
- inchworm
- kirkinch

## Related Forms
- mil
- thou

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: ynche
- Root: ynċe
- Root: uncia
- Root: *óynos

## Etymology
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.

## AI Etymology
Inch comes 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.

## Topics
- Mathematics & Measurement

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