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noun

pincers

PIHN-suhrz
noun
1
A hand tool with two pivoted, blunt jaws used for gripping or pulling.
"He used pincers to pull the stubborn nail from the board."
2
The front claws of crustaceans such as crabs and lobsters.
"The lobster waved its pincers menacingly at the tank glass."

How to Use Pincers

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA gripping tool, or a crustacean's claws.

Common pairings
a pair of pincers
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Fill the Gap

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He used _____ to pull the stubborn nail from the board.

Etymology

From Old French pinceure, from pincier, "to pinch."

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