different between pincer vs piecer

English

Alternative forms

• pincher (dated)

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?ns??/
• Rhymes: -?ns?(r)

Noun

pincer (plural pincers)

1. Any object that resembles one half of a pair of pincers.

Derived terms

• pincer attack

Verb

pincer (third-person singular simple present pincers, present participle pincering, simple past and past participle pincered)

1. (transitive, sometimes figuratively) To surround with a pincer attack.
   • 1984, Robert Lamb, Competitive Strategic Management (page 115)

     After considering all frontal counteroffensive alternatives, Heublein rejected them as detrimental to its profits and came up with a brilliant pincering maneuver. It raised the price of Smirnoff by one dollar, effectively preventing segment diffusion, […]

Anagrams

• Prince, prince

French

Etymology

From Old French pincier, pincer (“to pinch”).

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /p??.se/

Verb

pincer

1. to pinch (skin)
2. (informal) to pinch (to arrest)
3. (music) To pluck (a stringed instrument)

Conjugation

This verb is part of a group of -er verbs for which ‘c’ is softened to a ‘ç’ before the vowels ‘a’ and ‘o’.

Further reading

• “pincer” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Anagrams

• prince

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *pinci?re (“to puncture, pinch”).

Verb

pincer

1. to pinch

Conjugation

This verb conjugates as a first-group verb ending in -er. The forms that would normally end in *-c, *-cs, *-ct are modified to z, z, zt. In addition, c becomes ç before an a, o or u to keep the /ts/ sound intact. Old French conjugation varies significantly by date and by region. The following conjugation should be treated as a guide.

Descendants

• Middle French: pincier, pincer
  • French: pincer
    • ? Bavarian: pfitzen
    • ? Dutch: pinsen, pitsen
• Norman: pînchi
• ? Middle English: pinchen
  • English: pinch

Further reading

• “pincer” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

English

Etymology

piece +? -er

Noun

piecer (plural piecers)

1. One who pieces; a patcher.
2. (historical) A child employed in a spinning mill to tie together broken threads.

Anagrams

• Peirce, Pierce, pierce, recipe, recipé