tweezers
B2Neutral to slightly formal in technical contexts; everyday in domestic/beauty contexts.
Definition
Meaning
A small tool consisting of two arms joined at one end, used for plucking, gripping, or handling very small objects.
Any tool or device that operates on the principle of two pinching arms, including in scientific, cosmetic, and electronic contexts.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Always plural in form, referring to a single tool. Conceptually grouped with 'scissors', 'pliers'—tools with two joined parts.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant difference in meaning or use. The term is equally common in both varieties.
Connotations
In both varieties, primarily associated with personal grooming (eyebrows, splinters) and precision tasks (electronics, modelling).
Frequency
Slightly higher frequency in beauty/consumer contexts in both regions.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
Use [tweezers] to [VERB] [OBJECT][SUBJECT] tweezed [OBJECT] with [tweezers]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “As precise as a pair of tweezers.”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rare, except in manufacturing/beauty supply.
Academic
Common in laboratory manuals (biology, electronics) for handling samples.
Everyday
Very common for personal grooming, first aid, and hobby crafts.
Technical
Standard in electronics (surface-mount component placement), watchmaking, surgery.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- She carefully tweezed the splinter from her finger.
- I need to tweeze these stray hairs.
American English
- He tweezed the capacitor onto the circuit board.
- I'm going to tweeze my eyebrows before the party.
adjective
British English
- The tweezers action was very smooth.
- It requires a tweezers-like tool.
American English
- She used a tweezers grip to place the gem.
- We need a more tweezers-specific approach.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I can't get this splinter out. Do you have any tweezers?
- She uses tweezers to shape her eyebrows.
- The jeweller used precision tweezers to set the tiny diamond.
- A good pair of tweezers is essential for a first-aid kit.
- Under the microscope, the technician manipulated the cell sample with fine-tipped tweezers.
- The antique watch mechanism required special tweezers for reassembly.
- Optoelectronic tweezers utilise laser-induced electric fields to manipulate microscopic particles.
- The surgeon's deft use of micro-tweezers was critical during the nerve-repair procedure.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Imagine a bee (sound: 'twee') that you need to carefully 'z' (pluck) out with a tiny tool - twee-z-ers.
Conceptual Metaphor
EXTENSION OF THE FINGERS (for precision tasks too fine for hands).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct singular translation 'пинцет' as a countable noun; it's 'a pair of tweezers'.
Common Mistakes
- Using it as a singular noun (e.g., 'a tweezers' – incorrect; correct: 'a pair of tweezers' or just 'tweezers').
- Confusing with 'tweezer' (rarely used as attributive noun, e.g., 'tweezer grip').
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following sentences uses 'tweezers' correctly?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
It is grammatically plural (like 'scissors', 'trousers'), but refers to one tool. We say 'these tweezers are...' but 'a pair of tweezers'.
The back-formation verb is 'to tweeze', meaning to pluck or handle with tweezers (e.g., 'to tweeze eyebrows').
Tweezers are typically held with one hand, with spring tension at the joining end. Forceps are often hinged in the middle, like scissors, and may lock. 'Forceps' is more common in medical/scientific contexts.
Almost never in standard English. The standard form is always the plural 'tweezers'. 'Tweezer' is occasionally used attributively (e.g., 'tweezer tip'), but the tool itself is 'tweezers'.