pincer

noun

pin·cer | \ ˈpin(t)-sər

How to pronounce pincer (audio)

, 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

Recent Examples on the Web The rubber crafts raced along either side of the fishing boat, squeezing it like a pincer. — Los Angeles Times, "Sunken boats. Stolen gear. Fishermen are prey as China conquers a strategic sea," 12 Nov. 2020 That could position Russian forces as a pincer on either side of the 60-mile Polish-Lithuanian border, which is the only land route between the Baltic states and the rest of North Atlantic Treaty Organization territory. — James Marson, WSJ, "Russia’s Embrace of Lukashenko Puts the West on Alert," 28 Sep. 2020 Drepanosaurs—a reptile group only distantly related to archosaurs—gripped branches with pincer-like hands, had a snout resembling a beak, and sported a claw at the tips of their tails. — Riley Black, National Geographic, "How the world's deadliest mass extinction actually helped the rise of dinosaurs," 11 Sep. 2020 The bulky pincer-like front legs do resemble scorpion pincers, but this native moth is harmless. — Ellen Nibali, baltimoresun.com, "Garden Q&A: That’s not a scorpion, it’s a moth, and why some plants don’t grow," 10 Sep. 2020 Between these fires that are rimming the Bay Area in a giant pincer move, Cal Fire was spread so thin that local departments in Yolo County had to start the fight before Cal Fire could free up its own crews. — Sam Whiting, SFChronicle.com, "Firefighters battling Bay Area blazes brace for new lightning round as LNU, SCU fires grow to historic proportions," 23 Aug. 2020 These hornets also have a pincer-like mandible used for decapitating other insects. — Daisy Hernandez, Popular Mechanics, "What You Should Know About Murder Hornets," 30 May 2020 Just look at the robotic hands on this figure, with their pincer grips, like something from an assembly line. — Washington Post, "Gene Weingarten: Leggo my Lego," 9 July 2020 What the law's proponents conveniently don't acknowledge is that the CAA is only one arm of Modi's pincer to disenfranchise Muslims on India's soil. — Shikha Dalmia, TheWeek, "How Modi supporters are trying to cloak an anti-Muslim bill in American law," 7 Feb. 2020

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.

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Cite this Entry

“Pincer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pincer. Accessed 4 Mar. 2021.

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More Definitions for pincer

pincer

noun

English Language Learners Definition of pincer

: a small tool that is used for holding or gripping small objects

: a claw of a lobster or crab and some insects

See the full definition for pincer in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pincer

noun

pin·cer | \ ˈpin-chər

, ˈpin-sər \

Kids Definition of pincer

1 pincers plural : a tool with two handles and two jaws for holding or gripping small objects

2 : a part (as the claw of a lobster) resembling a pair of pincers

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