pliers
Britishplural noun
Etymology
Origin of pliers
C16: from ply 1
Explanation
A pair of pliers is a tool that you can use to twist metal or to grip a tiny object. Jewelry makers often use small, narrow pliers to bend thin pieces of wire. There are many different types of pliers that do various jobs, from large, wrench-like pliers that plumbers use on pipes to tiny "needle-nose pliers" that electricians can fit into narrow spaces and grip small wires. Why pliers always come in "pairs" like jeans, eyeglasses, and scissors is a bit of a mystery. The word stems from the verb ply, "work with" or "use."
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Her wonders of needle and thread, pliers and glue, 3-D printing and biotechnology are born in an Amsterdam studio, something between a cutting-edge lab and a medieval guild.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 19, 2026
The sound of pliers clicking filled a workshop in eastern China's Hangzhou as a group of women practised stripping wires, their female instructor moving around the classroom to offer advice.
From Barron's ● Jul. 8, 2026
Some of those remaining had deep gouging and scratches, which looked like marks left by pliers.
From BBC ● May 27, 2024
Keep a box with these essential basics: a tape measure, claw hammer, utility knife, level, crescent wrenches, hex keys, a handsaw, pliers, multiple screwdrivers and a collection of screws and nails.
From Seattle Times ● May 29, 2023
I see hammers, pliers, tape rolls, measuring sticks, drills, scissors...
From "The House That Lou Built" by Mae Respicio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
