[inch] n [ME, fr. OE ynce, fr. L uncia--more at ounce] (bef. 12c) 1: a unit of length equal to 1/36 yard
2: a small amount, distance, or degree "is like cutting a dog's tail off by ~es --Milton Friedman" 3 pl: stature, height
4. a: a fall (as of rain or snow) sufficient to cover a surface or to fill a gauge to the depth of one inch b: a degree of atmospheric or other pressure sufficient to balance the weight of a column of liquid (as mercury) one inch high in a barometer or manometer -- every inch : to the utmost degree "looks every inch a winner" -- within an inch of : almost to the point of
[2]inch vi (1599): to move by small degrees: progress slowly "the long line of people ~ing up the stairs" ~ vt: to cause to move slowly "sooner or later they begin ~ing prices back up --Forbes" [3]inch n [ME (Sc dial.), fr. ScGael innis] (15c) chiefly Scot: island