Vise
/vaɪs/noun
A tool with two jaws that holds an object firmly in place.
Did you know?English vise comes through French from Latin vitis, “vine,” because the earliest sense was something that twisted and clung like a vine around an object.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*wei-
“to twist, wind, or turn”
Latin
Latin
vitis
“vine, grapevine”
Old French
Old French
vise
“a clamp, screw, or gripping device”
Middle English
English
vise
“a bench tool with jaws for holding work”
Modern English
English
vise
“a clamp-like tool with two jaws for holding objects firmly”
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