tweezers

tweez·er

[twee-zerz]

noun

(used with a singular or plural verb)

1. small pincers or nippers for plucking out hairs, extracting splinters, picking up small objects, etc.

tweezers

/ ˈtwiːzəz /

plural noun

1. Also called: pair of tweezers.  tweezer. a small pincer-like instrument for handling small objects, plucking out hairs, etc

Word History and Origins

Origin of tweezers¹

First recorded in 1645–55; plural of tweezer, equivalent to obsolete tweeze “case of surgical instruments” (aphetic form of earlier etweese, from French étuis, plural of étui, noun derivative of Old French étuier “to keep,” from Latin stūdiāre “to care for”) + -er ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of tweezers¹

C17: plural of tweezer (on the model of scissors , etc), from tweeze case of instruments, from French étuis cases (of instruments), from Old French estuier to preserve, from Vulgar Latin studiāre (unattested) to keep, from Latin studēre to care about