Etymology Explorer › English

Where does “topinch” come from?

topinch (English) comes from English pinch, from Middle English pinchen, from Old French pincer, from Vulgar Latin pincio, from Latin punctiō, from Latin -tiō, from Latin dissertātiō, from Latin dissertus — small stone, pebble; gravel, rubble.

topinch (English): To pinch severely

Definitions

  1. To pinch severely

Ancestry of “topinch”, step by step

StepLanguageWordMeaning
1EnglishpinchTo squeeze a small amount of a person's skin and...
2Middle Englishpinchen—
3Old Frenchpincerto pinch
4Vulgar Latinpincioto puncture, pinch; I puncture, prick, pierce,...
5Latinpunctiō—
6Latin-tiō—
7Latindissertātiō—
8Latindissertusarranged, disposed; explained
9Latindissereresecond-person singular future passive indicative...
10Latindis-asunder, apart, in two; reversal, removal;...
11Latincalceusshoe
12Latincalxlimestone; chalk; the finish line
13Ancient Greekχάλιξsmall stone, pebble; gravel, rubble
Every word from Ancient Greek χάλιξ →