noun
vise
vys
noun
1
A tool with two jaws tightened by a screw or lever, used to hold an object firmly in place while it is worked on.
"He clamped the wood in a vise before sawing it."
2
A situation that leaves someone with very little freedom to choose or move.
"Debt had put the small business in a financial vise."
How to Use Vise
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA clamping tool used in workshops, or, figuratively, a tight, restrictive situation.
UK vs US
This is the American spelling; British English usually spells it "vice" for the tool.
Common pairings
a vise grip
clamp in a vise
Word Forms
vised past tense, vises plural, Vises plural, vises singular
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He clamped the wood in a _____ before sawing it.
Etymology
From Old French vis, "screw," ultimately from Latin vitis, "vine" — likely referencing the spiral shape of a screw thread.