pliers

P3L1I1E1R1S1
UK/ˈplaɪ.ə(ɹ)z/

noun

A pincer-like gripping tool that multiplies the strength of the user's hand, often used for bending things.

“I need a pair of pliers to get a good grip on that broken screw.”

Similar
pair of pliersplyers
Less commonScrabble 8
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Word of the Day · Oct 29, 2023

Meanings

pliers1

nounpliers pl (plural only)
  1. pluralplural onlyA pincer-like gripping tool that multiplies the strength of the user's hand, often used for bending things.

    I need a pair of pliers to get a good grip on that broken screw.

pliers2

noun
  1. pluralplural of plier

Synonyms & antonyms

nouna gripping hand tool with two hinged arms and (usually) serrated jaws

Similar
pair of pliersplyers
Broader
hand toolcompound lever
Also see
pair of pliers

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

pliers · noun

From ply (“to bend”) + -er + -s.

Full word history & related roots →

pliers · noun

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Arabic زَرَّادِيَّة
  • زَرَّادِيَّة (zarrādiyya)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Bulgarian пло́ски кле́щи, кле́щи
  • пло́ски кле́щи (plóski kléšti)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • кле́щи (kléšti)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Catalan alicates
  • alicatesgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Chinese Mandarin 鉗子 /钳子, 鉗 /钳
  • 鉗子 /钳子 (qiánzi)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • 鉗 /钳 (qián)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Czech kleště
  • kleštěgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Danish tang
  • tanggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Dutch tang
  • tanggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Esperanto pinĉilo
  • pinĉilogripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Estonian tangid, näpitsad (nippers, pinchers)
  • tangidgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • näpitsad (nippers, pinchers)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • pihidgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Finnish pihdit, tongit
  • pihditgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • tongitgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
French pince, pinces
  • pincegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • pincesgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
German Zange, Kneifzange
  • Zangegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • Kneifzangegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Greek πένσα
  • πένσα (pénsa)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Hebrew מֶלְקַחַת
  • מֶלְקַחַת (melkákhat)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Hungarian fogó
  • fogógripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Indonesian tang
  • tanggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Irish teanchair
  • teanchairgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Italian pinza, pinze
  • pinzagripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • pinzegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Japanese プライヤー, ペンチ
  • プライヤー (puraiyā)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • ペンチ (penchi)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Korean 플라이어, 펜치
  • 플라이어 (peullaieo)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • 펜치 (penchi)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Latvian knaibles
  • knaiblesgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Lithuanian replės, žnyplės
  • replėsgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • žnyplėsgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Malay tang
  • tanggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Māori kūmau
  • kūmaugripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Norwegian Bokmål tang
  • tanggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Persian انبردست, انبر
  • انبردست (anbordast)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • انبر (anbor)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • انبرک (anborak)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Polish cęgi, cążki
  • cęgigripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • cążkigripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • kombinerkigripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • szczypcegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • kleszczegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Portuguese alicate
  • alicategripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Romanian clește
  • cleștegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Russian плоскогу́бцы, пассати́жи
  • плоскогу́бцы (ploskogúbcy)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • пассати́жи (passatíži)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • щипцы́ (ščipcý)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • кле́щи (kléšči)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • куса́чки (kusáčki)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Scottish Gaelic greimire
  • greimiregripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Slovak kliešte
  • klieštegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Spanish alicates, alicate
  • alicatesgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • alicategripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Swedish tång
  • tånggripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Tagalog plais, sagam
  • plaisgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • sagamgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • bokay-patogripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • bokaypatogripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • alikategripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Tamil இடுக்கி
  • இடுக்கி (iṭukki)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Thai คีม
  • คีม (kiim)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Turkish pense, kargaburun
  • pensegripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • kargaburungripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Ukrainian щи́пці, клі́щі
  • щи́пці (ščýpci)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • клі́щі (klíšči)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • плоскогу́бці (ploskohúbci)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Vietnamese cái kìm, kềm
  • cái kìmgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • kềmgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
  • kìmgripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Welsh gefel blygu
  • gefel blygugripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand
Yiddish קנײַפּער
  • קנײַפּער (knayper)gripping tool which multiplies the strength of the user's hand

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

PerlisPreslilisper
Cite this entry
APA

pliers. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pliers

MLA

“pliers.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pliers. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “pliers,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/pliers.

Source: pliers on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.