inch inch [ɪntʆ] noun [countable]
a unit for measuring length, equal to 2.54 centimetres
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Ⅰ.
inch UK US /ɪnʃ/ noun [C] (abbreviation in., symbol ʺ)
► MEASURES a unit of measure equal to one-twelfth of a foot or 2.54 centimetres: »
Eighteen inches of snow disrupted deliveries across the Midwest.
»The tablet computer's screen measures 9.4 inches diagonally.
»Sheet metal cladding costs more per square inch than reinforced plastic.
Ⅱ.
inch UK US /ɪnʃ/ verb [I]
► to move very slowly or in a lot of short stages: inch ahead/along/forward »
Crates inched along the conveyor belt on their way out of the warehouse.
»Legislators inched closer to closing a loophole in the law.
inch up/upward »Stocks slowly inched upward in March.
Financial and business terms. 2012.