tweezers

tweezers
noun plural but singular or plural in construction Etymology: obsolete English tweeze, noun, etui, short for obsolete English etweese, from plural of obsolete English etwee, from French étui Date: 1654 any of various small metal instruments that are usually held between the thumb and index finger, are used for plucking, holding, or manipulating, and consist of two legs joined at one end

New Collegiate Dictionary. 2001.

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  • Tweezers — are tools used for picking up small objects that are not easily handled with the human hands. They are probably derived from tongs, pincers, or scissors like pliers used to grab or hold hot objects from the dawn of recorded history.Tweezers make… …   Wikipedia

  • tweezers — (n.) 1650s, extended from tweezes, plural of tweeze case for tweezers (1620s), aphetic of etweese, considered as plural of etwee (1610s) a small case, from Fr. étui small case (see ETUI (Cf. etui)). Sense transferred from the case to the… …   Etymology dictionary

  • tweezers — ► PLURAL NOUN (also pair of tweezers) ▪ a small instrument like a pair of pincers for plucking out hairs and picking up small objects. ORIGIN from obsolete tweeze «case of surgical instruments» …   English terms dictionary

  • tweezers — [twē′zərz] pl.n. [extended < obs. tweeze, surgical set, aphetic for Fr étuis, pl. of étui: see ETUI] [also with sing. v.] small nippers, consisting of two arms, joined at one end, for plucking out hairs, handling little objects, etc.: often… …   English World dictionary

  • Tweezers — Twee zers, n. pl. [See {Tweese}.] Small pinchers used to pluck out hairs, and for other purposes. [1913 Webster] …   The Collaborative International Dictionary of English

  • tweezers — n. a pair of tweezers * * * [ twiːzəz] a pair of tweezers …   Combinatory dictionary

  • tweezers — [[t]twi͟ːzə(r)z[/t]] N PLURAL: oft a pair of N Tweezers are a small tool that you use for tasks such as picking up small objects or pulling out hairs. Tweezers consist of two strips of metal or plastic joined together at one end …   English dictionary

  • tweezers — noun Small pincers, usually made of metal, used for handling small objects, or for plucking. Syn: pair of tweezers, tongs …   Wiktionary

  • tweezers — twee|zers [ˈtwi:zəz US ərz] n [plural] [Date: 1600 1700; Origin: tweeze case of small instruments (1600 1700), from etweese tweeze (17 18 centuries), from the plural of etwee tweeze (17 19 centuries), from French étui] a small tool that has two… …   Dictionary of contemporary English

  • tweezers — tweez|ers [ twizərz ] noun plural a tool that you use for picking up or removing very small objects. It consists of two narrow pieces of metal joined at one end: She was plucking her eyebrows with tweezers …   Usage of the words and phrases in modern English

  • tweezers — [17] French étui denotes a small case for carrying personal articles, small tools and the like (it was descended from Old French estuier ‘keep, shut up, imprison’). English adopted it in the early 17th century as etui or, anglicized, as etwee.… …   The Hutchinson dictionary of word origins

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