Tweezers
/ˈtwiːzərz/noun
A small tool with two springy arms used for gripping and pulling out tiny objects.
Did you know?The word began as a plural form tied to “two” and “thread,” because tweezers were originally imagined as a paired tool for pinching tiny things, not a single object with a singular destiny.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*dwo-
“two”
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*tewh₂-
“to swell, become thick; also associated with twisting/spinning in later branches”
Old English
OE
twis
“a pair; twain, twofold”
Middle English
ME
tweese
“a pair of small pincers or nippers”
17th Century
English
tweezers
“small pincers; the plural form becomes standard for the tool”
Modern English
English
tweezers
“a small spring-like pinching tool used for grasping fine objects”