Definition of "inch" []

• A unit of length in the U.S. Customary and British Imperial systems, equal to 1/12 of a foot (2.54 centimeters). See Table at measurement. (noun)
• A fall, as of rain or snow, sufficient to cover a surface to the depth of one inch. (noun)
• A unit of atmospheric pressure that is equal to the pressure exerted by a one-inch column of mercury at the earth's surface at a temperature of 0°C. (noun)
• A very small degree or amount: won't budge an inch. (noun)
• To move or cause to move slowly or by small degrees: inching along through stalled traffic; inched the chair forward. (verb-transitive)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "Roll out the puff pastry to a thickness of ½ inch (1 cm) and not less than 3/8 inch, long and wide enough to cut out two 8 or 8 ½-inch (21 cm) discs."
• "Trim all excess fat from steak and cut into-3 inch strips about ½-inch wide."
• "Cut the leeks lengthwise in half or in quarters if they are more than 1 inch thick, then slice them crosswise in ½-inch chunks."