Pinched

Part of speech: adjective, verb

Definitions

1. Pressed or squeezed tightly between two surfaces ; appearing gaunt or distressed due to poor health or worry ; taken or stolen surreptitiously
2. Compressed or gripped firmly ; looking pale, thin, or worn from hardship or sickness ; to have secretly appropriated property
3. Forced into a narrow or tight position by pressure ; manifesting physical or emotional distress visibly ; having illicitly taken something

Etymology: The verb "pinch" traces back to a tiny, violent idea: a puncture. Its probable ancestor is the Latin "punctiō," meaning a prick or puncture, which merged in Vulgar Latin with a verb "piccāre," meaning to strike or sting. That verb came from a Frankish form, "pikkōn," which is related to the Proto-Germanic root for picking, pecking and pricking, so the sense of nipping flesh between finger and thumb is the oldest one still visible in the word. Its origin is uncertain, but the lineage runs through Old French "pincier" and Middle English "pinchen." "Pinched" is the past form of that verb, and its adjective senses grew out of the same squeezing action. A face that is pinched looks as if it has been gripped tightly, drawn in around the nose and mouth by cold, hunger or illness, so the image of compression became one of physical strain. The sense of secretly taking property is a separate extension, where the idea of nipping something quickly and quietly turned into stealing it.

Synonyms: squeezed, compressed

Antonyms: expanded, stretched