inch
noun [ C ]
uk/ɪnʃ/ us(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.
See also
column inch
inch
verb [ I ]
uk/ɪnʃ/ usto 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.