tweezers

[ twee-zerz ]

/ ˈtwi zərz /

noun (used with a singular or plural verb)

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

Nearby words

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 ]

/ ˈtwi zər /

noun

tweezers.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for tweezers

Much of the content was chit-chatty girl talk about longing for manicures, pedicures, a pair of tweezers and “underwear that fit.”
Is This a Photo of Casey Anthony?|Diane Dimond|January 18, 2012|DAILY BEAST
Dick spent the rest of the day working over Ned's face and body with tweezers, pulling out bits of thorns.
Dick in the Everglades|A. W. Dimock
Peter couldn't be sure, but she had a little pair of tweezers, and seemed to pull something out of her chin.
100%: The Story of a Patriot|Upton Sinclair
Arrange the fur over all stitches by picking it free with tweezers.
Taxidermy|Leon Luther Pray

Then from the belt came the thin metal case and a pair of tweezers.
The Adventures of Jimmie Dale|Frank L. Packard
The two valves of small mussels or clams were made to do service as tweezers for pulling out their hair.
Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans|William H. Holmes

British Dictionary definitions for tweezers

tweezers

/ (ˈtwiːzəz) /

pl n

a small pincer-like instrument for handling small objects, plucking out hairs, etcAlso called: pair of tweezers, (esp US) tweezer

Word Origin for tweezers

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

tweezers

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.