Plier

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A hand tool utilized for gripping, bending, or cutting various items, which often has movable jaws to apply pressure efficiently
2. An implement designed for applying pressure, twisting, or cutting materials, typically characterized by two handles and a fulcrum
3. A mechanical device with two handles and jaws used for holding, twisting, or shaping objects

Etymology: The word "plier" is simply "ply" plus the agent suffix "-er", meaning one who or that which plies. Its suffix has a long pedigree: the Latin "-arius" passed into Old French as "-ier", and in English the ending appears as "-ere" in Old and Middle English before settling into "-er". That ending was already a common way to name a person or object that does something, so the new word follows a well-worn pattern. The verb "ply" is the more interesting part. It is a shortened form of "apply," and its original sense was to apply oneself to a task or to use something diligently, so a tool that is "plied" is one that is worked with steadily. The noun thus names a device used to keep working at something, which is a neat fit for pincers that grip and bend.

Synonyms: tongs, forceps