tweezers
[twee-zerz]
- small pincers or nippers for plucking out hairs, extracting splinters, picking up small objects, etc.
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Origin of tweezers
1645–55; plural of tweezer, equivalent to obsolete tweeze case of surgical instruments (aphetic form of earlier etweese < French étuis, plural of étui, noun derivative of Old French étuier to keep < Latin stūdiāre to care for) + -er1
tweezer
[twee-zer]
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Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for tweezers
Contemporary Examples
Much of the content was chit-chatty girl talk about longing for manicures, pedicures, a pair of tweezers and “underwear that fit.”
Historical Examples
Jewelers' tweezers are the finest thing to be had for this work.
TaxidermyLeon Luther Pray
Arrange the fur over all stitches by picking it free with tweezers.
TaxidermyLeon Luther Pray
Now, Dean, I must come to you for another of your surgical instruments—the tweezers.
Dead Man's LandGeorge Manville Fenn
Bobby procured his tweezers and began to set up his own name.
The Adventures of Bobby OrdeStewart Edward White
The poor fellow has a thorn in his pad; I am going upstairs for my tweezers.
The Second Mrs. TanqueraySir Arthur Wing Pinero
tweezers
- a small pincer-like instrument for handling small objects, plucking out hairs, etcAlso called: pair of tweezers, (esp US) tweezer
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Word Origin
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
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Word Origin and History for tweezers
n.
1650s, extended from tweezes, plural of tweeze "case for tweezers" (1620s), a shortening of etweese, considered as plural of etwee (1610s) "a small case," from French étui "small case" (see etui). Sense transferred from the case to the implement inside it.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper