pincers
pincers Lexical Profile
pincers Game Scores & Validity
• noun
The front hinged claws of certain arthropods, such as lobsters, crabs, and scorpions, used for seizing prey and defense.
"The crab raised its large pincers defensively as the tide pool receded."
A metal hand tool consisting of two pivoted handles and a pair of curved, blunt jaws, used for gripping things tightly or extracting nails.
"The carpenter used a pair of heavy iron pincers to pull the bent nails out of the floorboards."
Word Nuance & Usage
When referring to the hand tool, 'pincers' is a plural-form noun (like 'scissors' or 'pliers') and is often used with 'a pair of', whereas the singular form 'pincer' is regularly used for a single claw of a crustacean or in the attributive phrase 'pincer movement'.
Word Origin & Etymology
From Middle English 'pinsours', borrowed from Anglo-Norman 'pinceours', an instrument noun derived from Old French 'pincier' meaning 'to pinch'.
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.