plier

[ plahy-er ]
See synonyms for: plierpliers on Thesaurus.com

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.

Origin of plier

1
First recorded in 1560–70; ply2 + -er1
  • Also especially British, ply·er .

Words Nearby plier

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use plier in a sentence

  • A meeting of the plier manufacturers of the country was called and the question was put before them.

  • Some French writer says, "Qu'il faut plier les grandes ailes de l'loquence pour entrer dans un salon."

  • Another use of this plier, also indicated, is to bend over the ends of the split pin in order to prevent it from falling out.

    Aviation Engines | Victor Wilfred Pag
  • Wet the spokes well and with a plier press them hard and turn them up.

    Practical Basketry | Anna A. Gill
  • Wet the spokes again and with the plier press the spokes well and bend them outward for a slight flare.

    Practical Basketry | Anna A. Gill

British Dictionary definitions for plier

plier

/ (ˈplaɪə) /


noun
  1. a person who plies a trade

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012