Pincers
/ˈpɪn.sərz/noun
A tool with two hinged arms used for gripping, pinching, or holding objects tightly.
Did you know?Pincers and pinch both come from the same Latin root, showing how English turned a simple idea of pinching into both a hand-tool and a verb of pressure and control.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peig-
“to cut, shape, or fix in place”
Latin
Latin
pungere
“to prick or pierce”
Latin
Latin
pinctia / pinctores?
“later Romance developments associated with pinching or grasping tools”
Old French
Old French
pinces
“tongs, pincers”
Middle English
English
pincers
“tongs or gripping tools”
Modern English
English
pincers
“a hinged gripping tool with two arms”