Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Eyeglasses that are worn on the bridge of the nose without supports that go over the ears.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun Eyeglasses kept in place on the nose by a spring.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Eyeglasses kept on the nose by a spring.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun temple-less eyeglasses that clip to the bridge of the nose

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun spectacles clipped to the nose by a spring

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French : pincer, to pinch (from Old French pincier; see pinch) + nez, nose (from Latin nāsus; see nas- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

French pince-nez ‘pinch-nose’.

Support

Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word pince-nez.

Examples

Comments

Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.

  • They really pinch the nose.

    October 4, 2007