■ verb
1》 grip (the flesh) tightly and sharply between finger and thumb.
↘(of a shoe) hurt (a foot) by being too tight.
↘[often as adjective ~ed ] tighten (the lips or a part of the face), especially with worry or tension.
2》 live in a frugal way.
3》 informal steal.
↘ Brit. arrest (someone).
4》 remove (buds or leaves) to encourage bushy growth.
5》 Sailing sail (a boat) so close to the wind that the sails begin to lose power.
■ noun
1》 an act of ~ing.
↘an amount of an ingredient that can be held between fingers and thumb.
2》 Baseball a critical point in the game.
Phrases
at (or N. Amer. in ) a ~ if absolutely necessary.
feel the ~ experience hardship, especially financial.
Origin
ME: from an Old North. Fr. var. of OFr. pincier 'to ~'.