pinch point

pinch point (plural pinch points)

1. (engineering) A point in between moving and stationary parts of a machine where an individual's body part may become caught, leading to injury[1]
2. (economics) The level of inventories of a commodity or product below which consumers become concerned about security of supply
3. (mathematics) Cuspidal point, a type of singular point on an algebraic surface
4. A kerb extension, a traffic calming measure consisting of an angled narrowing of the roadway
5. A bottleneck, part of a process that is too slow and causes a delay.
   • 2020 January 2, Graeme Pickering, “Fuelling the changes on Teesside Rails”, in Rail, pages 58–59:

     Houchen observes that Hartlepool, used by around 640,000 passengers a year, is another pinch point where changes to the station are required. Despite being on the double-track Durham Coast Line linking Teesside, Sunderland and Newcastle, it has only one through platform: "Now there are some interim solutions, but the long-term solution is a new station at Hartlepool."