plier

[ plahy-er ]

noun

1. pliers, (sometimes used with a singular verb) small pincers with long jaws, for bending wire, holding small objects, etc. (usually used with pair of ).
2. a person or thing that plies. ply.

plier

/ ˈplaɪə /

noun

1. a person who plies a trade

Word History and Origins

Origin of plier¹

First recorded in 1560–70; ply ² + -er ¹

Example Sentences

Officers said they feared Valenzuela was trying to access a weapon when he reached toward one of the pockets on his pants, where police found an all-in-one plier set that contained a knife that folded out.

From Seattle Times

By the 18th century in Europe, this transformation was complete: from an industrious and sometimes anonymous plier of a trade to an individual with a singular perspective — a genius with privileged access to the sublime, pledged to bring the world higher truths.

From New York Times

Matt Plier of Island Adventures explains that in springtime you’re most likely to see orcas, because they don’t have migratory patterns.

From Seattle Times

“A lot of people come back year after year because every single tour is different, so we’re seeing different things every time we go out and that can change daily,” says Plier.

From Seattle Times

In a couple seconds of screen time, Elliot drills a hole in the computer’s main hard drive, yanks the RAM chips out with a plier, and microwaves them, ensuring no one can ever extract any data again.

From The Verge