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pince-nez

(pănsnā, pĭns-)

n. pl. pince-nez (-nāz, -nā)

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

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

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pince-nez

Indo-European & Semitic Roots Appendices

Thousands of entries in the dictionary include etymologies that trace their origins back to reconstructed proto-languages. You can obtain more information about these forms in our online appendices:

Indo-European Roots

Semitic Roots

The Indo-European appendix covers nearly half of the Indo-European roots that have left their mark on English words. A more complete treatment of Indo-European roots and the English words derived from them is available in our Dictionary of Indo-European Roots.

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