Adjacent Words

cinch definitions

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WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: any undertaking that is easy to do; "marketing this product will be no picnic" [syn: cinch, breeze, picnic, snap, duck soup, child's play, pushover, walkover, piece of cake]
2: stable gear consisting of a band around a horse's belly that holds the saddle in place [syn: cinch, girth]
3: a form of all fours in which the players bid for the privilege of naming trumps v
1: tie a cinch around; "cinch horses" [syn: cinch, girth]
2: make sure of
3: get a grip on; get mastery of

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Spanish cincha, from Latin cingula girdle, girth, from cingere — more at cincture Date: 1859 1. a girth for a pack or saddle 2. a tight grip 3. a. a thing done with ease b. a certainty to happen <it's a cinch he'll break the record> II. verb Date: 1866 transitive verb 1. a. to put a cinch on b. to fasten (as a belt or strap) tightly 2. to make certain ; assure <the goal that cinched the victory> intransitive verb to tighten the cinch — often used with up

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 colloq. a a sure thing; a certainty. b an easy task. 2 a firm hold. 3 esp. US a girth for a saddle or pack. --v.tr. 1 a tighten as with a cinch (cinched at the waist with a belt). b secure a grip on. 2 sl. make certain of. 3 esp. US put a cinch (sense 3) on. Etymology: Sp. cincha

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cinch Cinch, v. t. In the game of cinch, to protect (a trick) by playing a higher trump than the five.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cinch Cinch, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cinched; p. pr. & vb. n. Cinch"ing.] 1. To put a cinch upon; to girth tightly. [Western U. S.] 2. To get a sure hold upon; to get into a tight place, as for forcing submission. [Slang, U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cinch Cinch, v. i. To perform the action of cinching; to tighten the cinch; -- often with up. [Western U. S.]

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cinch Cinch, n. [Cf. cinch a girth, a tight grip, as v., to get a sure hold upon; perh. so named from the tactics used in the game; also cf. Sp. cinco five (the five spots of the color of the trump being important cards).] A variety of auction pitch in which a draw to improve the hand is added, and the five of trumps (called right pedro) and the five of the same color (called left pedro, and ranking between the five and the four of trumps) each count five on the score. Fifty-one points make a game. Called also double pedro and high five.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Cinch Cinch, n. [Sp. cincha, fr. L. cingere to gird.] 1. A strong saddle girth, as of canvas. [West. U. S.] 2. A tight grip. [Colloq.]

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

If you say that something is a cinch, you mean that you think it is very easy to do. (INFORMAL) It sounds difficult, but compared to full-time work it was a cinch. = doddle N-SING: a N

Moby Thesaurus

affix, afford proof of, anchor, annex, ascertain, assure, attach, babe, back band, backstrap, band, bandage, bearing rein, belay, bellyband, belt, bend, bind, bind up, bit, blinders, blinds, boob, brace, breeching, breeze, bridle, bring home to, bundle, caparison, cavesson, cement, certify, chain, checkrein, cheekpiece, chinband, chump, clamp, clear up, clinch, collar, cramp, credulous person, crownband, crupper, cull, curb, dead-sure thing, decide, demonstrate, determine, dismiss all doubt, do up, dupe, easy mark, easy pickings, easy target, easy thing, engraft, ensure, establish, fall guy, fasten, find out, fish, fix, follow, follow from, fool, gag swivel, get at, gird, girdle, girt, girth, gobe-mouches, graft, grapple, greener, greenhorn, greeny, gudgeon, gull, hackamore, halter, hames, hametugs, harness, have a case, headgear, headstall, hip straps, hold good, hold water, horn, innocent, insure, jaquima, jerk line, jockey, knit, lace, lash, lead-pipe cinch, leadpipe cinch, leash, lines, make certain, make fast, make good, make no doubt, make no mistake, make out, make sure, make sure of, martingale, monkey, moor, nail down, natural, noseband, open-and-shut case, patsy, picnic, pie, piece of cake, pigeon, pipe, plaything, pole strap, pommel, prize sap, prove, prove to be, prove true, pushover, put to, reassure, reins, remove all doubt, ribbons, rope, saddle, sap, saphead, schlemiel, screw up, secure, see that, see to it, set, set at rest, set to, settle, settle the matter, setup, shaft tug, shoo-in, show, side check, sinecure, sitting duck, snaffle, snap, sort out, splice, stirrup, stooge, strap, sucker, surcingle, sure bet, sure card, sure success, sure thing, swaddle, swathe, tack, tackle, tie, tie up, tighten, toy, trappings, trice up, trim, truss, trusting soul, tug, velvet, victim, winker braces, winner, wire, wrap, wrap up, yoke