Meaning & use
tweezers
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
A small hand tool with two narrow metal arms joined at one end, used for picking up very small objects or pulling out hairs.
Grammar: Takes a plural verb: The tweezers are sharp. To talk about one tool, say 'a pair of tweezers.'
Patterns
- a pair of tweezers
- use tweezers to do something
- pull something out with tweezers
She used tweezers to remove the splinter from his finger.
The stamp collector picked up the tiny stamp with a pair of tweezers.
Do you have any tweezers? I need to pluck my eyebrows.
Common combinations
- a pair of tweezers
- He bought a pair of tweezers for his first-aid kit.
- eyebrow tweezers
- She keeps her eyebrow tweezers in the bathroom cabinet.
- use tweezers
- Use tweezers to place the small parts carefully.
- with tweezers
- He removed the tick with tweezers.
Synonyms and how they differ
Commonly confused: tweezers or scissors?
tweezers vs scissors
Scissors have two blades for cutting; tweezers have two arms for gripping. They are different tools.
Practice
She used a pair of ______ to pick the splinter out of her foot.
Choose one answer.
Tweezers is the correct tool for picking out small objects like splinters. 'Tweezer' is not used as a singular noun in this way. 'Scissors' are for cutting, and 'pliers' are too large and not precise enough for a splinter.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “tweezers”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.