Definition of pincer
1 a
pincers plural
:an instrument having two short handles and two grasping jaws working on a pivot and used for gripping things
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Recent Examples of pincer from the Web
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Their pincers look menacing, but are not hazards for humans.
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Now, scientists have developed robotic pincers inspired by geckos to help grab space trash.
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The two horned pincers on a male beetle’s head are likely used to battle other males over territory, the website insectidentification.org says.
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In the tunnels and on the dusty earth, termites fell by the score and warrior ants lost limbs and perished under the pincer shear of terrible mandibles.
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Outside the hollows, the crabs move rapidly on tree trunks, using their pincer-bearing thick front legs to propel themselves.
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Van der Meiden tells the AFP that the stinger pattern could also be related to how each species uses its pincers to ward off predators.
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The boat crane operator uses giant pincers to grab the timber and drop it into a debris box on deck.
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.
Origin and Etymology of pincer
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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See words that rhyme with pincer Spanish Central: Translation of pincer Nglish: Translation of pincer for Spanish speakers
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