pincer meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

pincer

noun

/ˈpɪnsəɹ/

Etymology From Middle English pynsor, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”).

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

Derived terms: pincer attack, pincer gate, pincerlike, pincer movement, pincertail, pincerwise

verb

Etymology From Middle English pynsor, from Old French pinceure, pinchure, from pincier (“to pinch”).

Figuratively, Sometimes To surround with a pincer attack.

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, […]1984, Robert Lamb, Competitive Strategic Management, page 115:
The minesweeper and the sea tug now came along either side, pincered the Vega, and seemed to be ushering it toward Moruroa, perhaps attempting to push the ketch inside the 12-mile limit.2004, Rex Weyler, Greenpeace: