pinch

Pinch is a term with several related but distinct senses. As a verb, it means to squeeze something tightly between the thumb and a finger or between two surfaces. As a noun, pinch can refer to both the act of squeezing and to a small amount of something, typically measured by feel rather than a fixed quantity, such as a pinch of salt.

In everyday usage, a pinch of salt or spice is a small, approximate amount added to a dish. The exact quantity varies by cook and context, but the idea is that only a tiny amount is needed to affect flavor. The phrase also appears in other contexts, such as “pinch of pepper” or “pinch of sugar,” reflecting the same notion of a minimal, quick measure.

Pinch has several technical senses as well. A pinched nerve occurs when tissue, bone, or other structures apply pressure to a nerve, causing pain, numbness, or weakness along the nerve’s path. In physics and engineering, the pinch effect describes the compression of a plasma by magnetic or electrical forces, a principle studied in fusion research (notably the z-pinch). In electronics and media, pinch can describe gripping tools (pincers) or gestures on touchscreens, where a pinch-to-zoom action uses two fingers to zoom in or out on content.

Common phrases include pinch hitter, a substitute batter in baseball, and the idiom “pinch me,” used to express disbelief. The core idea across senses is a small, targeted squeeze or a small quantity, whether describing a tactile action, a measurement in cooking, or a technical phenomenon.