1 (written abbreviation inBritish EnglishBrE or in.American EnglishAmE)TM a unit for measuringlength, equal to 2.54 centimetres. There are 12 inches in a foot 英寸〔长度单位,等于2.54 厘米。1英尺为12英寸〕
Derek leaned closer, his face only inches from hers.
德里克靠得更近了,他的脸几乎贴到她的脸上。
The bus missed us by inches.
公共汽车差一点就撞着我们了。
On several occasions, they came within inches of death.
有几次他们都险些丧命。
3every inch
a)COMPLETEcompletely or in every way 完全地;不折不扣地
With her designer clothes and elegant hair, she looks every inch the celebrity.
她穿着著名设计师设计的服装,发型优雅,看起来完全像个名人。
b)EVERYWHEREthe whole of an area or distance 〔某地区的〕全部;全程
every inch of
Every inch of space in the tiny shop was crammed with goods.
这家小商店的每一寸地方都塞满了商品。
Italy deserved to win, though Greece made them fight every inch of the way.
意大利队应该获胜,虽然在希腊队的逼迫下,他们全局打得都很艰苦。
Examples from the Corpus
every inch• Peterborough made them fightevery inch of the way.• He speaks with a public school accent and looks every inch the business executive he, of course, is.• The Sharpsestimate that they have hiked nearly every inch.• This is an hour-long conductedtour in an old tram car, nostalgiaevery inch of the way.• He was aware of every inch of her as he had never been aware of anything.• Now it's all ruined, every inch.• The cold would grow solid, palpable, something to be felt with every inch of your skin.• I frel that it has, with every inch of my being.
4.give somebody an inch and they’ll take a yard/mileWATCHused to say that, if you allow someone a little freedom or power, they will try to take more 某人会得寸进尺
5inch by inchSLOWmoving very gradually and slowly 〔移动〕一点一点地,缓慢地
6not give/budge an inchREFUSEto refuse to change your decision or opinion, even though people are trying to persuade you to do this 寸步不让
Neither side is prepared to give an inch in the negotiations.
双方都无意在谈判中作丝毫让步。
Examples from the Corpus
not give/budge an inch• And even with his size he didn't know what to do with Braden standing over him and not giving an inch.• I was just a novice and he was fairly frightening, not giving an inch until he had sounded you out.• Once on the ground again she tried pulling the horse, but still it would not budge an inch.
7beat/thrash etc somebody to within an inch of their lifeBEAT/DEFEATto beat someone very hard and thoroughly 痛打某人,狠揍某人
Another word out of you and I’ll beat you to within an inch of your life.
a one-/two-/three- etc inch something• I had my first good bite, a two inchlift then the indicatordropping like the clappers on a slack line.• I provide you with a one inch to the milemap, and a box of matches each one inch long.
only inches from• He took a finalstep and crouched down only inches from touching her.• Isabel froze, staring into those glittering eyes only inches from her own.• She gulped for breath, her eyes only inches from his.• He clenched his fist and held it only inches from her face, the muscles of his arm quivering with tension.• He moved the crib to his side of the bed and slept every night only inches fromJuneLee.• An old Adler typewritercrashed against the wall only inches from Cally's head.• His lips were only inches from hers when Rosa's tap at the door made him lift his dark head.
SLOWto move very slowly in a particular direction, or to make something do this(使)缓慢移动
I inched forward along the ground.
我贴着地面缓慢向前挪动。
Examples from the Corpus
inch• We watched the catinching along the ground, not taking its eyes off the bird for a second.• The car inchedforward into the narrowparkingspace.• I was inching forward now, and nothing was going to stop me.• Masklin looked up as the trolleyinched forward.• One of the pods was inching its way out into space.• I inched my way across the crowded room to where Lou was standing.• The roar of the water coming down the gullydrummed at my ears as I inched the Toyota into the bend.• She inched towards him, daring him to move before she had shaken off the latest man to accost her.• As the number of voters backing Alexander has inchedupward, so too has the number of those who view him favorably.
From Longman Business Dictionary
inchinch /ɪntʃ/ noun [countableC]
a unit for measuring length, equal to 2.54 centimetres