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• vise
  vise

  noun

  any of various devices, usually having two jaws that may be brought together or separated by means of a screw, lever, or the like, used to hold an object firmly while work is being done on it.
• visé
  visé

  noun

  visa.

vise

¹ American  

[vahys] / vaɪs /

Or vice

noun

1. any of various devices, usually having two jaws that may be brought together or separated by means of a screw, lever, or the like, used to hold an object firmly while work is being done on it.

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verb (used with object)

vised, vising

1. to hold, press, or squeeze with or as with a vise.

visé ² American  

[vee-zey, vee-zey] / ˈvi zeɪ, viˈzeɪ /

noun

viséed, viséing

1. visa.

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vise British  

/ vaɪs /

noun

1. a variant spelling of vice 2

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Other Word Forms

• viselike
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of vise¹

1300–50; Middle English vis < Old French: screw < Latin vītis vine (whose spiral form gave later sense)

Origin of visé²

< French, past participle of viser to inspect, check; see visa

Explanation

If you’re going to be doing a lot of woodworking, you’ll probably need a vise, a tool used to clamp pieces of wood in place while you work on them. The word vise came into English through the French word vis, meaning “screw.” Picture yourself winding a lever that screws the jaws of a vise shut, and you’ll understand what it’s like to operate a vise. Remember to spell the word with an s, as not to confuse it with sound-alike vice, which can refer to a destructive habit that you’d like to break. The two words are unrelated in meaning.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

vise visé viséed viséing vised vising

But the characters unfold before us in their exchanges, and the play makes room for the actors to inhabit the complexities and contradictions of lives caught in the vise of history.

From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 17, 2026

State Legislatures are caught in a legal vise.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 13, 2025

It’s no cause for alarm, but it felt as if a vise were being twisted tighter and tighter around my chest.

From Slate ● Nov. 26, 2023

Wall Street dropped after big U.S. companies delivered a mixed set of profit reports and rising Treasury yields tightened the vise further on the stock market.

From Seattle Times ● Oct. 18, 2023

After I get the plank cut out, Mr. Woodwell has me set it in his bench vise and he takes up a block plane.

From "The Young Man and the Sea" by Rodman Philbrick

This, the United States Lines contended, often worked an injustice, because immigrants might book passage, sell their homes, and then discover that the consul would not visé their passports.

From Time Magazine Archive

The British control officer told me that I really didn't need his visé, but that he would put it on anyway because it would make the passports look more imposing.

From The New Frontiers of Freedom from the Alps to the Ægean by E. Alexander (Edward Alexander) Powell

"The visé is of more than three days standing."

From Letters of a Traveller Notes of Things Seen in Europe and America by William Cullen Bryant

This is the reason why an occasional package—lacking the official stamp and visé of the check-room—is picked up by the keen-eyed detectives while its transporter is asked to tarry for a moment in an ante-room.

From The Romance of a Great Store by Edward Hungerford

The Consul wishes to visé our Articles—the Articles may not be handed over till we produce a slip from the Consul, the Consul will grant no slip till we have seen the S.I.O.

From Merchantmen-at-arms : the British merchants' service in the war by David W. (David William) Bone

In passing, it is well to note that the five strongest writers of America had their passports to greatness viséed in England before they were granted recognition at home.

From Little Journeys to the Homes of the Great - Volume 14 Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Musicians by Elbert Hubbard

After our papers have been viséed at the office of the commandant, we hurried back to our machines, eager to be away again.

From High Adventure A Narrative of Air Fighting in France by James Norman Hall

The consul went over the papers, viséed them, and handed them to their owner.

From The Goose Girl by Harold MacGrath

At last I confronted the inspector, and was told that under the new regulations I should have had my Red Cross card viséed in Paris.

From Kings, Queens and Pawns An American Woman at the Front by Mary Roberts Rinehart

Had a good supper at the little hotel, had my papers viséed by the Belgian Consul, and at 6 o'clock yesterday morning was up and away, by way of Putte.

From A Journal From Our Legation in Belgium by Hugh Gibson

We have already recommended charging consuls with viséing certificates from police, medical, and poor-relief authorities.

From The Unpopular Review, Volume II Number 3 by Various

It is well built on narrow streets, like nearly all Italian cities, and manifests considerable activity in the way of watching gates and viséing Passports.

From Glances at Europe In a Series of Letters from Great Britain, France, Italy, Switzerland, &c. During the Summer of 1851. by Horace Greeley

The French insisted on viséing our papers in order to show their authority and because they needed the ten francs.

From The New Frontiers of Freedom from the Alps to the Ægean by E. Alexander (Edward Alexander) Powell

On the present occasion, the Hamburger was detained a considerable time, whilst I exercised, at my leisure, my belligerent right of viséing his papers.

From Memoirs of Service Afloat, During the War Between the States by Raphael Semmes

Much higher bills were seen at less frequently vised restaurants, like Chick-fil-A, Capriotti’s and Taco Bell, which cost the state about $25,100, $20,300 and $13,300, respectively.

From Washington Times ● Dec. 26, 2019

The current owner, Barbara Jenik, opened the door, an aggrieved Chihuahua vised into her armpit.

From New York Times ● Nov. 28, 2017

Methodism, vised by its geographical Bishop, promised to repay the money owed you.

From Time Magazine Archive

John McCoy, finding his right arm vised between the girder and the roof of his cab, let out a yell that brought firemen, a priest and a doctor.

From Time Magazine Archive

You seem almost a man these days, Jeth; even yore hair ain’t quite as yaller and curly as it vised to be.”

From "Across Five Aprils" by Irene Hunt

There is just time left to confirm that Anderson and Piper are both more regular customers at Pizza Express than Prince Andrew, who famously told Maitlis about vising the chain.

From BBC ● Mar. 18, 2024

Opposition politicians also are vising the region en masse, with the Republican People’s party leader Ozgur Ozel attending the commemorations in Hatay before travelling to Gaziantep and Kahramanmaras.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 5, 2024

Tile drains are then placed directly under the curb line and a 6×16-in. curb is constructed, vising 1-2-4 concrete faced with 1-2 mortar.

From Concrete Construction Methods and Costs by Halbert Powers Gillette