pinch-belly

A form of pinch-gut — A miser; especially someone parsimonious with food.

Meanings

nounpinch-belly (plural pinch-bellies)

plural pinch-bellies

  1. alternativeAlternative form of pinch-gut (“miser”).

    Such a Pinch-belly, that he grudgeth himself sustenance, like that Wretch reported by St. Ambrose, who eating of an Egge for his meat, uttered these words with a sigh, that he had lost a Hen; repining therein at his great expence.

    1662, Jacques Olivier, translated by Richard Banke, A Discourse of Women, Shewing Their Imperfections Alphabetically, →OCLC, page 2
  2. alternativenamealternative name for squeeze stiles, usually stone, in Gloucestershire generally and Stroud in particular. Archaic, mid 20ᵗʰC. There is a 10ᵗʰC right of way called "Pinch Belly Alley" (aka Mercer St) between Westgate St (51.86567,-2.2465) & Cross Keys Lane (51.86516,-2.24715) in Gloucester. The remains of the two stones are embedded in an old wall.

Synonyms & antonyms

Cite this entry
APA

pinch-belly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pinch-belly

MLA

“pinch-belly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pinch-belly. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pinch-belly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pinch-belly.

Source: pinch-belly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.