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inchmeal (INCH-meel) - adv., inch by inch, little by little, gradually.
Supposedly sometimes used (when it is used) with "by" in front, but none the usage examples do this. Of course, some of the examples are clearly using it as an adject, so go fig. In use since at least around the 1530, from inch the measurement + -meal, indicating a quantity of (as in piecemeal), from Old English mælum, a quantity taken at one time.
---L.
Supposedly sometimes used (when it is used) with "by" in front, but none the usage examples do this. Of course, some of the examples are clearly using it as an adject, so go fig. In use since at least around the 1530, from inch the measurement + -meal, indicating a quantity of (as in piecemeal), from Old English mælum, a quantity taken at one time.
---L.
