pincer

See also: pincér

English

Alternative forms

Etymology

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

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /ˈpɪnsəɹ/
  • Audio (Southern England)(file)
  • Rhymes: -ɪnsə(ɹ)

Noun

pincer (plural pincers)

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

Derived terms

Verb

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

  1. (transitive, sometimes figurative) 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, […]
    • 2004, Rex Weyler, Greenpeace:
      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.

Anagrams

French

Etymology

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

Pronunciation
  • IPA(key): /pɛ̃.se/
  • audio(file)

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'.

Conjugation of pincer (see also Appendix:French verbs)
infinitive simple pincer
compound avoir + past participle
present participle or gerund1 simple pinçant
/pɛ̃.sɑ̃/
compound ayant + past participle
past participle pincé
/pɛ̃.se/
singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative je (j’) tu il, elle, on nous vous ils, elles
(simple
tenses)		 present pince
/pɛ̃s/		 pinces
/pɛ̃s/		 pince
/pɛ̃s/		 pinçons
/pɛ̃.sɔ̃/		 pincez
/pɛ̃.se/		 pincent
/pɛ̃s/
imperfect pinçais
/pɛ̃.sɛ/		 pinçais
/pɛ̃.sɛ/		 pinçait
/pɛ̃.sɛ/		 pincions
/pɛ̃.sjɔ̃/		 pinciez
/pɛ̃.sje/		 pinçaient
/pɛ̃.sɛ/
past historic2 pinçai
/pɛ̃.se/		 pinças
/pɛ̃.sa/		 pinça
/pɛ̃.sa/		 pinçâmes
/pɛ̃.sam/		 pinçâtes
/pɛ̃.sat/		 pincèrent
/pɛ̃.sɛʁ/
future pincerai
/pɛ̃.sʁe/		 pinceras
/pɛ̃.sʁa/		 pincera
/pɛ̃.sʁa/		 pincerons
/pɛ̃.sʁɔ̃/		 pincerez
/pɛ̃.sʁe/		 pinceront
/pɛ̃.sʁɔ̃/
conditional pincerais
/pɛ̃.sʁɛ/		 pincerais
/pɛ̃.sʁɛ/		 pincerait
/pɛ̃.sʁɛ/		 pincerions
/pɛ̃.sə.ʁjɔ̃/		 pinceriez
/pɛ̃.sə.ʁje/		 pinceraient
/pɛ̃.sʁɛ/
(compound
tenses)		 present perfect present indicative of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect indicative of avoir + past participle
past anterior2 past historic of avoir + past participle
future perfect future of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que je (j’) que tu qu’il, qu’elle que nous que vous qu’ils, qu’elles
(simple
tenses)		 present pince
/pɛ̃s/		 pinces
/pɛ̃s/		 pince
/pɛ̃s/		 pincions
/pɛ̃.sjɔ̃/		 pinciez
/pɛ̃.sje/		 pincent
/pɛ̃s/
imperfect2 pinçasse
/pɛ̃.sas/		 pinçasses
/pɛ̃.sas/		 pinçât
/pɛ̃.sa/		 pinçassions
/pɛ̃.sa.sjɔ̃/		 pinçassiez
/pɛ̃.sa.sje/		 pinçassent
/pɛ̃.sas/
(compound
tenses)		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect2 imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nous vous –
simple — pince
/pɛ̃s/		 — pinçons
/pɛ̃.sɔ̃/		 pincez
/pɛ̃.se/		 —
compound — simple imperative of avoir + past participle — simple imperative of avoir + past participle simple imperative of avoir + past participle —
1 The French gerund is usable only with the preposition en.
2 In less formal writing or speech, these tenses may be found to have been replaced in the following way:
  • past historic → present perfect
  • past anterior → pluperfect
  • imperfect subjunctive → present subjunctive
  • pluperfect subjunctive → past subjunctive

(Christopher Kendris [1995], Master the Basics: French, pp. 77, 78, 79, 81).

Further reading

Anagrams

Old French

Etymology

From Vulgar Latin *pinciāre (“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.

    Conjugation of pincer (see also Appendix:Old French verbs)
simple compound
infinitive pincer avoir pincé
gerund en pinçant gerund of avoir + past participle
present participle pinçant
past participle pincé
person singular plural
first second third first second third
indicative jo tu il nos vos il
simple
tenses		 present pinz pinces pince pinçons pincez pincent
imperfect pinçoie, pinceie, pinçoe, pinceve pinçoies, pinceies, pinçoes, pinceves pinçoit, pinceit, pinçot, pinceve pinciiens, pinciens pinciiez, pinciez pinçoient, pinceient, pinçoent, pincevent
preterite pinçai pinças pinça pinçames pinçastes pincerent
future pincerai pinceras pincera pincerons pinceroiz, pincereiz, pincerez pinceront
conditional pinceroie, pincereie pinceroies, pincereies pinceroit, pincereit pinceriiens, pinceriens pinceriiez, pinceriez pinceroient, pincereient
compound
tenses		 present perfect present tense of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect tense of avoir + past participle
past anterior preterite tense of avoir + past participle
future perfect future tense of avoir + past participle
conditional perfect conditional tense of avoir + past participle
subjunctive que jo que tu qu’il que nos que vos qu’il
simple
tenses		 present pinz pinz pinzt pinçons pincez pincent
imperfect pinçasse pinçasses pinçast pincissons, pincissiens pincissoiz, pincissez, pincissiez pinçassent
compound
tenses		 past present subjunctive of avoir + past participle
pluperfect imperfect subjunctive of avoir + past participle
imperative – tu – nos vos –
— pince — pinçons pincez —

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

Further reading
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