The pincer movement, or double envelopment, is a military maneuver in which forces simultaneously attack both flanks (sides) of an enemy formation. This classic maneuver has been important throughout the history of warfare. The meaning of PINCER is an instrument having two short handles and two grasping jaws working on a pivot and used for gripping things.

Understanding the Context

How to use pincer in a sentence. a. often pincers or pinchers A grasping tool having two parts hinged together to work in opposition. b.

Key Insights

One of the opposing parts in such a tool. 2. a. A claw resembling such a tool, as of a lobster or scorpion; a chela. Pincers are a similar tool with a different type of head used for cutting and pulling, rather than squeezing.

Final Thoughts

The female, smaller than the male, has two pincers of equal length but of a thinner size. These examples are from corpora and from sources on the web. Definition of pincer noun in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more. Pincers consist of two pieces of metal that are hinged in the middle. They are used as a tool for gripping things or for pulling things out.

His surgical instruments were a knife and a pair of pincers. The pincers of an animal such as a crab or a lobster are its front claws. Collins COBUILD Advanced Learner’s Dictionary. A pincer is a tool or device used for gripping or holding things, typically one consisting of two metal levers joined at one end.