pinch
verb uk/pɪntʃ/ us/pɪntʃ/
(PRESS)
[ I or T ]捏，拧，掐，夹
to press something, especially someone's skin, strongly between two hard things such as a finger and a thumb, usually causing pain
Ouch! Stop pinching (me)! 哎哟，别掐我！
These shoes are too tight, they pinch (my feet). 这双鞋太紧了，夹我的脚。
pinch yourselfinformal 拧自己一下（表示某事太好或太奇怪，简直令人难以置信）
You say that you have to pinch yourself if you cannot really believe something that has happened because it is so good or so strange
I can't believe that he's back from Canada and he's mine - I keep having to pinch myself to make sure I'm not dreaming. 我不敢相信他从加拿大回来了，而且他属于我——我不停地拧自己以确信我不是在做梦。
The sunsets are so beautiful you have to pinch yourself to prove you're not dreaming.
She was still pinching herself after having been told she'd won the award.
The dancers are still pinching themselves that they are going to perform for the king.
He had to pinch himself to be sure he was really sitting in the same room as his hero.
(STEAL)
[ T ] informal偷窃
to steal something
Right, who's pinched my chair? 好嘛，谁把我的椅子偷走了？
Idiom
pinch penniesidiom old-fashioned (UK also pinch and scrape) 精打细算;省吃俭用
to spend as little money as possible
When we were first married we had to pinch pennies just to get by. 我们刚结婚时不得不精打细算才得以勉强维持生计。
pinch
noun uk/pɪntʃ/ us/pɪntʃ/
(AMOUNT)
[ C ]（一）撮;少量
a small amount of something, such as a powder, especially the amount that a person can hold between their first finger and thumb
While the tomatoes are cooking add a pinch of salt/sugar/dried thyme. 烧西红柿时加一小撮盐／糖／干百里香。
figurative Opinion polls on subjects like this should be taken with a pinch of scepticism. 对这种话题的民意测验应持半信半疑的态度。
(PRESS)
[ C usually singular ]捏，拧，掐，夹
the act of pinching something or someone
She gave Emma a painful pinch on the arm. 她在埃玛的胳膊上狠狠地掐了一下。
Idiom
at a pinchidiom UK (US in a pinch) 必要时；在紧要关头
Something that you can do at a pinch can be done if it is really necessary, but it will be difficult, not perfect, or not what you would really like
I need £2,000 to set up the business, but I suppose £1,500 would do at a pinch. 我需要2000英镑来创办这个公司，不过实在凑不够，1500英镑也可以。