Meanings
noun
- pluralplural of pincer
nounpincers pl (plural only)
- pluralplural onlyA gripping tool, pivoted like a pair of scissors, but with blunt jaws.
Milk formed their chief diet, and this they were supposed to imbibe from the witch herself, from a third "teat" which had been made beneath the arm by a nip from the Devil's pincers.
1936, Rollo Ahmed, The Black Art, London: Long, page 107 - pluralplural onlyThe front claws of crustaceans such as lobsters.
Synonyms & antonyms
Also see
Origin
- Old Frenchpinceure
- Middle Englishpynsours
- Englishpincers
From Middle English pynsours, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”).
More words from Middle English, Old French
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic كَلْبَتَان
- كَلْبَتَان (kalbatān)gripping tool
Bulgarian кле́щи, щи́пци
- кле́щи (kléšti)gripping tool
- щи́пци (štípci)front claws
Catalan tenalles
- tenallesgripping tool
Chinese Mandarin 鉗子 /钳子, 鉗 /钳
- 鉗子 /钳子 (qiánzi)gripping tool
- 鉗 /钳 (qián)gripping tool
Czech kleště, klepeta
- kleštěgripping tool
- klepetafront claws
Dutch knijptang
- knijptanggripping tool
Estonian näpitsad, naelatangid
- näpitsadgripping tool
- naelatangidgripping tool
- sõradfront claws
Finnish hohtimet, sakset
- hohtimetgripping tool
- saksetfront claws
French tenaille, pinces
- tenaillegripping tool
- pincesgripping tool
- pincesfront claws
German Kneifzange, Beißzange
- Kneifzangegripping tool
- Beißzangegripping tool
- Kantenzangegripping tool
- Monierzangegripping tool
- Krebsscherefront claws
Greek τανάλια
- τανάλια (tanália)gripping tool
Hungarian harapófogó
- harapófogógripping tool
Irish teanchair, ordóg
- teanchairgripping tool
- ordógfront claws
Italian tenaglia, pinze
- tenagliagripping tool
- pinzefront claws
Japanese やっとこ, 矢床
- やっとこ (yattoko)gripping tool
- 矢床 (yattoko)gripping tool
- ペンチ (penchi)gripping tool
Korean 펜치, 못뽑이
- 펜치 (penchi)gripping tool
- 못뽑이 (motppobi)gripping tool
- 족집게 (jokjipge)gripping tool
Latin forceps
- forcepsgripping tool
Māori kuku
- kukugripping tool
Norwegian Bokmål tang, knipetang
- tanggripping tool
- knipetanggripping tool
- klofront claws
Persian انبرک, انبردست
- انبرک (anborak)gripping tool
- انبردست (anbordast)gripping tool
- انبر (anbor)gripping tool
Polish kleszcze, obcęgi
- kleszczegripping tool
- obcęgigripping tool
Portuguese tenaz, pinça
- tenazgripping tool
- pinçagripping tool
- patolasfront claws
Romanian clește, clește
- cleștegripping tool
- cleștefront claws
Russian кле́щи, щипцы́
- кле́щи (kléšči)gripping tool
- щипцы́ (ščipcý)gripping tool
- клешня́ (klešnjá)front claws
- клешни́ (klešní)front claws
Slovak kliešte
- klieštegripping tool
Spanish tenaza, tenazas
- tenazagripping tool
- tenazasgripping tool
- pinzasgripping tool
- pinzasfront claws
- tenazasfront claws
Swedish tång, hovtång
- tånggripping tool
- hovtånggripping tool
- kniptånggripping tool
Tagalog bahaypato
- bahaypatogripping tool
Tamil இடுக்கி, இடுக்கி
- இடுக்கி (iṭukki)gripping tool
- இடுக்கி (iṭukki)front claws
- கொடுக்கு (koṭukku)front claws
Thai คีม, ก้าม
- คีม (kiim)gripping tool
- ก้าม (gâam)front claws
Turkish kerpeten, kıskaç
- kerpetengripping tool
- kıskaçfront claws
Ukrainian клі́щі, обце́ньки
- клі́щі (klíšči)gripping tool
- обце́ньки (obcénʹky)gripping tool
- щи́пці (ščýpci)gripping tool
Vietnamese kềm, kìm
- kềmgripping tool
- kìmgripping tool
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
APA
pincers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincers
MLA
“pincers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincers. Accessed November 2, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pincers,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pincers.
Source: pincers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.