Meaning & use

pincer

noun·Academic

A claw-like grasping organ found on crabs, lobsters, and similar creatures, or a tool with two hinged arms used for gripping.

See it in a sentence

The crab snapped its pincer shut around the piece of bait.

He used a pincer to pull the stubborn nail out of the board.

A note on using this word

In military strategy, a "pincer movement" describes an attack from two sides that closes in on an enemy, a figurative extension of the physical shape.

Words with a similar meaning

clawtongs

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