étau

From Middle French estau, estot (“vise”, 16th c.). Probably from Old French estoc (“trunk”), from Frankish *stokk; compare German Schraubstock. If so, a doublet of estoc. Alternatively, a doublet of étal instead, but the Middle French form in -ot makes this appear less likely, particularly as the same spelling also occurs for estoc in other senses.

• IPA^(key): /e.to/

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étau m (plural étaux)

1. vise, vice (instrument consisting of two jaws for holding work)
2. (figuratively) noose, net

   L’étau se resserre. ― The noose is tightening.

   • 2023 May, Constant Léon, “L'Arménie en quête de soutien”, in Le Monde diplomatique, page 12:

     L’étau se resserre autour du Haut-Karabakh, que Bakou entend ramener dans son giron.

     The net is tightening around Nagorno-Karabakh, which Baku intends to bring back into its fold.

• “étau”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.