"plier" meaning in English

See plier in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

Audio: LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-plier.wav [US] Forms: pliers [plural]
Etymology: Etymology tree English ply Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English plier From ply + -er. Etymology templates: {{ety|en|:af|ply|-er<id:agent suffix>|text=+|tree=1}} Etymology tree English ply Proto-Indo-European *-yósder. Proto-Italic *-āzios Latin -āriusnom. Latin -āriusbor. Proto-Germanic *-ārijaz Proto-West Germanic *-ārī Old English -ere Middle English -ere English -er English plier [Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "agent noun", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "nom.", "keyword_label" : "Nominalization of", "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjective", "children" : [ { "terms" : [ { "id" : "adjective", "children" : [ { "keyword_abbrev" : "der.", "keyword_label" : "Derived from", "terms" : [ { "id" : "suffix", "children" : [ ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Indo-European", "term" : "*-yós", "lang" : "ine-pro" } ], "keyword" : "derived" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Italic", "term" : "*-āzios", "lang" : "itc-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-ārius", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "nominalization" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Latin", "term" : "-ārius", "lang" : "la" } ], "keyword" : "bor" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-Germanic", "term" : "*-ārijaz", "lang" : "gem-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Proto-West Germanic", "term" : "*-ārī", "lang" : "gmw-pro" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Old English", "term" : "-ere", "lang" : "ang" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "Middle English", "term" : "-ere", "lang" : "enm" } ], "keyword_label" : "Inherited from", "keyword" : "inherited" } ], "status" : "ok", "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "-er", "lang" : "en" } ], "keyword_label" : "From", "is_group" : true, "keyword" : "affix" } ], "lang_name" : "English", "term" : "plier", "status" : "ok", "lang" : "en" }" data-lang="en" data-title="plier"> From ply + -er. Head templates: {{en-noun}} plier (plural pliers)
  1. One who plies.
    Sense id: en-plier-en-noun-1Il2tmvb Categories (other): English entries referencing missing etymons, English entries with etymology texts, English entries with etymology trees, English entries with etymon, English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -er (agent suffix), Pages using etymon with no ID, Pages with 4 entries, Pages with entries, Pages with etymology trees, Pages with etymon Disambiguation of English entries referencing missing etymons: 83 17 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology texts: 77 23 Disambiguation of English entries with etymology trees: 77 23 Disambiguation of English entries with etymon: 91 9 Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 93 7 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -er (agent suffix): 62 38 Disambiguation of Pages using etymon with no ID: 92 8 Disambiguation of Pages with 4 entries: 36 3 9 18 7 14 13 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 50 3 7 14 6 11 10 Disambiguation of Pages with etymology trees: 83 17 Disambiguation of Pages with etymon: 94 6
  2. Attributive form of pliers. Tags: attributive, form-of Form of: pliers
    Sense id: en-plier-en-noun-wRb1K2p8
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: plier wrenches Related terms: pliers [plural, plural-only]

Inflected forms

Alternative forms

{
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "word": "plier wrenches"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Malay",
      "lang_code": "ms",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "playar"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "ply",
        "4": "-er<id:agent suffix>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish ply\nProto-Indo-European *-yósder.\nProto-Italic *-āzios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\nEnglish -er\nEnglish plier\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"nom.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Nominalization of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suffix\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āzios\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"nominalization\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārijaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-er\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"plier\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"plier\">\nFrom ply + -er.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish ply\nProto-Indo-European *-yósder.\nProto-Italic *-āzios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\nEnglish -er\nEnglish plier\nFrom ply + -er.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pliers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "plier (plural pliers)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0",
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "word": "pliers"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries referencing missing etymons",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology texts",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "77 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "91 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "93 7",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "62 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -er (agent suffix)",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "92 8",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages using etymon with no ID",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "36 3 9 18 7 14 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 4 entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "50 3 7 14 6 11 10",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "83 17",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymology trees",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "94 6",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with etymon",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "One who plies."
      ],
      "id": "en-plier-en-noun-1Il2tmvb",
      "links": [
        [
          "plies",
          "ply"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              10,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "text": "a 3-piece plier kit",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "pliers"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Attributive form of pliers."
      ],
      "id": "en-plier-en-noun-wRb1K2p8",
      "links": [
        [
          "pliers",
          "pliers#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "attributive",
        "form-of"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-plier.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "plier"
}
{
  "categories": [
    "English agent nouns",
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries referencing missing etymons",
    "English entries with etymology texts",
    "English entries with etymology trees",
    "English entries with etymon",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms suffixed with -er (agent suffix)",
    "Pages using etymon with no ID",
    "Pages with 4 entries",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Pages with etymology trees",
    "Pages with etymon"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "plier wrenches"
    }
  ],
  "descendants": [
    {
      "lang": "Malay",
      "lang_code": "ms",
      "raw_tags": [
        "borrowed"
      ],
      "word": "playar"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": ":af",
        "3": "ply",
        "4": "-er<id:agent suffix>",
        "text": "+",
        "tree": "1"
      },
      "expansion": "Etymology tree\nEnglish ply\nProto-Indo-European *-yósder.\nProto-Italic *-āzios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\nEnglish -er\nEnglish plier\n[Appendix:Glossary#loanword|Borrowed]] from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"agent noun\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"nom.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Nominalization of\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"adjective\", \"children\" : [ { \"keyword_abbrev\" : \"der.\", \"keyword_label\" : \"Derived from\", \"terms\" : [ { \"id\" : \"suffix\", \"children\" : [ ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Indo-European\", \"term\" : \"*-yós\", \"lang\" : \"ine-pro\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"derived\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Italic\", \"term\" : \"*-āzios\", \"lang\" : \"itc-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"nominalization\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Latin\", \"term\" : \"-ārius\", \"lang\" : \"la\" } ], \"keyword\" : \"bor\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārijaz\", \"lang\" : \"gem-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Proto-West Germanic\", \"term\" : \"*-ārī\", \"lang\" : \"gmw-pro\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Old English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"ang\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"Middle English\", \"term\" : \"-ere\", \"lang\" : \"enm\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"Inherited from\", \"keyword\" : \"inherited\" } ], \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"-er\", \"lang\" : \"en\" } ], \"keyword_label\" : \"From\", \"is_group\" : true, \"keyword\" : \"affix\" } ], \"lang_name\" : \"English\", \"term\" : \"plier\", \"status\" : \"ok\", \"lang\" : \"en\" }\" data-lang=\"en\" data-title=\"plier\">\nFrom ply + -er.",
      "name": "ety"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "Etymology tree\nEnglish ply\nProto-Indo-European *-yósder.\nProto-Italic *-āzios\nLatin -āriusnom.\nLatin -āriusbor.\nProto-Germanic *-ārijaz\nProto-West Germanic *-ārī\nOld English -ere\nMiddle English -ere\nEnglish -er\nEnglish plier\nFrom ply + -er.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "pliers",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {},
      "expansion": "plier (plural pliers)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "tags": [
        "plural",
        "plural-only"
      ],
      "word": "pliers"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "glosses": [
        "One who plies."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "plies",
          "ply"
        ]
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with usage examples"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "bold_text_offsets": [
            [
              10,
              15
            ]
          ],
          "text": "a 3-piece plier kit",
          "type": "example"
        }
      ],
      "form_of": [
        {
          "word": "pliers"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Attributive form of pliers."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "pliers",
          "pliers#English"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "attributive",
        "form-of"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "audio": "LL-Q1860 (eng)-Wodencafe-plier.wav",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/8/8d/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav/LL-Q1860_%28eng%29-Wodencafe-plier.wav.ogg",
      "tags": [
        "US"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "word": "plier"
}

Download raw JSONL data for plier meaning in English (4.3kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2026-07-25 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2026-07-06 using wiktextract (d9fa233 and 9e92f4b). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.