pincer

Pincer refers to any of a pair of grasping appendages that meet at a joint, enabling objects to be held, pinched, or manipulated. The term is commonly used for the large claws, or chelae, of many crustaceans such as crabs, lobsters, and crayfish, as well as for forceps-like structures in some insects and arachnids. Pincers are often specialized for defense, feeding, or mating displays and may be symmetrical or asymmetric between the two sides.

In crustaceans, the two major claws are typically called chelae, with the larger crusher claw or the sharper cutter claw in some species. Pincers help seize prey, break shells, and communicate aggression or dominance. In other arthropods, such as earwigs, the paired cerci are also described as pincers, though they may differ structurally from crustacean chelae.

As a tool, pincers are hand-held devices with two arms joined at a fulcrum. They include tongs, pliers, nippers, and surgical pincers, used to grasp hot objects, cut, pull, or crimp materials, or hold tissue during operations. The term can also describe similar gripping devices built into machines or used in industry.

In military terminology, a pincer movement describes an operation in which two forces advance from opposite sides to envelop and trap an enemy, creating a closing “pincer” around the target. The concept has entered general usage to describe any encircling maneuver that isolates a goal from multiple directions.