tweezers

Meaning

Noun

• A small pincerlike instrument, usually made of metal, used for handling or picking up small objects (such as postage stamps), plucking out (plucking) hairs, pulling out slivers, etc.

Related

Similar words

• pair of pincers, pincers
• pair of tweezers
• tongs
• tweezer

Origin

• 17th century (1645–55): plural of tweeser (on the model of nippers, pincers, pliers or scissors), from obsolete tweese (or alternatively, alteration of plural form tweeses), aphetic form of earlier etweese (plural of etwee), from French étuis, plural of étui (from Old French estui ("container, prison"), derivative of étuier (earlier spelling, estuier, probably from Vulgar Latin *estudiāre ("to keep, treat with care") or *studiāre, from Latin studēre ("to care about").