Recent Examples on the WebThe new species was identified by its coloring, body shape, pincers and other subtle physical features, the study said.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 21 May 2024 The pincers are used for grasping prey and defending against predators.—Tiffany Acosta, The Arizona Republic, 18 May 2024 The new species was identified by its body shape, size, pincers and other subtle physical features, the study said.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Near a campsite in Thailand, a hairy creature with brown pincers lurked under a rock.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 8 Mar. 2024 Their two front pincers can be used to attack prey and fend off predators.—Scott Travers, Forbes, 28 Feb. 2024 The ant was shaking her thorax at him now, beckoning him closer with her pincers.—Simon Rich, The New Yorker, 15 Jan. 2024 Black burn marks on some of the crab carapaces and pincers indicate that the crustaceans were subjected to temperatures up to 600 to 900 degrees Fahrenheit, indicative of being roasted on coals.—Ryan McRae, Smithsonian Magazine, 28 Dec. 2023 The result was perfectly weird, a crab-looking thing with pincers, bird claws, and a flames coming out of its head.—Jon Blistein, Rolling Stone, 12 Oct. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pincer.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Middle English pinceour, from Anglo-French *pinceour, pinchure, from Anglo-French *pincher, pincer to pinch, from Vulgar Latin *pinctiare, *punctiare, from Latin punctum puncture — more at point
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