noun
pliers
PLEYE-uhz
noun
1
A hand tool with pincer jaws used for gripping, bending, or cutting.
"He used a pair of pliers to twist the wire into a loop."
How to Use Pliers
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA gripping hand tool, always referred to in the plural, like "scissors."
Common mistake
Treated as plural: "these pliers are," not "this plier is." You can say "a pair of pliers."
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He used a pair of _____ to twist the wire into a loop.
Etymology
From ply ("to bend") plus the agent suffix -er, with the plural -s reflecting the tool's two joined handles.