pincer

noun

pin·cer | \ ˈpin(t)-sər

, especially for sense 1 US often ˈpin-chər\

Definition of pincer

1a pincers plural : an instrument having two short handles and two grasping jaws working on a pivot and used for gripping things

b : a claw (as of a lobster) resembling a pair of pincers : chela

2 : pincer movement

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Examples of pincer in a Sentence

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Fish eat some of the creatures that eat coral, while crabs and shrimp use their pincers to protect their coral homes. — Isabelle Gerretsen, CNN, "Can the world's first land-based coral farm save our reefs?," 13 June 2019 Earwigs are unusual among insects in that the female fusses over her eggs and nymphs, and uses her pincers to protect them. — The Editors, Good Housekeeping, "How to Control Earwigs in Your Garden and Keep Them From Getting in Your House," 27 July 2018 With luck, the pincer will come free and bring with it the cartilage within the claw. — House Beautiful, "Todd English's Surf & Turf Recipe at Kitchen of the Year," 20 July 2012 Two forces are acting as a pincer, making the decision more and more obvious. — David Roberts, Vox, "We could shift to sustainability and save $26 trillion. Why are aren’t we doing it?," 6 Sep. 2018 For the claws, bend the lower smaller pincer shell on the claw from side to side and then pull it away from the claw. — House Beautiful, "Todd English's Surf & Turf Recipe at Kitchen of the Year," 20 July 2012 Try to get pincers with a flat spatula design in order to smooth moss out over a surface. — Kevin Espiritu For Partselect.com, Good Housekeeping, "How And Why You Should Try Growing Moss In Your Garden," 29 Aug. 2017 The pincers are closing on what remains of affirmative action, and in a few years, with Justice Gorsuch and Justice Federalist Society Favorite TBA on the bench, the conservative movement may finally get its wish. — Jay Willis, GQ, "The Trump Administration Is Hell-Bent on Ending Affirmative Action," 3 July 2018 Additional training and dedication to the hip arthroscopy surgical techniques have allowed him to become proficient in treating femoral acetabular impingement (cam and pincer impingement) and labral tears of the hip. — Orthocincy, Cincinnati.com, "About us: Dr. Kevin J. Shaw," 19 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pincer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.