vise

IPA/vaɪs/
KK[vˈaɪs]IPA/vaɪs/

vise — noun

  • visesingular
  • visesplural

1. a workshop tool with two flat metal jaws that clamp shut as you turn a handle or

1.nounB1
Definition

a workshop tool with two flat metal jaws that clamp shut as you turn a handle or screw, designed to keep an object steady while you work on it with a file, saw, or drill.

Example

The carpenter tightened the vise around the wooden chair leg before sanding it.

tightened the vise around [object]

A bench vise holds metal parts securely while you thread a screw into them.

hold [object] securely while [action]

Common collocations
  • tighten a vise
  • loosen a vise
  • clamp in a vise
  • bench vise
  • machinist's vise
  • woodworking vise
  • jaws of the vise
Synonyms
  • clamp

    A broader term for any device that presses parts together; a clamp may not have the screw-and-jaw design of a vise.

  • bench clamp

    Specifically a clamp attached to a workbench; less common in everyday speech.

Grammar Patterns

vise — countable noun

Usage Note

The US spelling is vise; the UK spelling is vice. In both spellings, this meaning (the bench tool) is the same. Do not confuse with 'vice' meaning a bad habit or immoral behavior.

Common Mistakes

He secured the wood piece in the vice.' (UK spelling acceptable in British English, but in American English it's 'vise')
He secured the wood piece in the vise.
US and UK differ slightly in spelling for this tool.

2. a powerful grip, a tight hold, or a situation that confines or restricts someone

2.nounB2
Definition

a powerful grip, a tight hold, or a situation that confines or restricts someone or something, as if they were being squeezed by a vise.

Example

The winter storm held the mountain town in a vise of snow and ice.

caught in the vise of [something] (figurative)

Every time the phone rang, a vise of anxiety tightened around Kenta's chest.

Common collocations
  • vise of fear
  • vise of anxiety
  • vise of poverty
  • tighten its vise
  • caught in a vise
  • in the vise of
Synonyms
  • clutch

    Emphasizes the act of gripping or seizing; often used of fear or cold.

  • stranglehold

    Stronger and more negative than vise; suggests a deliberate tightening meant to harm or destroy.

  • grip

    More general; less precise about the mechanical, squeezing quality.

Antonyms
  • release

    The act of letting go or freeing from a tight hold.

Grammar Patterns

a vise of [something]

in the vise of [something]

Usage Note

This is a figurative extension of the physical tool sense. It almost always appears with a following prepositional phrase ('of [something]') that names the force or situation doing the squeezing.

vise — verb

Word family

  • viselike
    adjectiveC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four tools hold or grip objects, but they differ in design and use. A vise (American) or vice (British) attaches to a workbench and uses screw-tightened jaws to hold work pieces stationary for cutting, filing, or drilling. A clamp is a broader category — it can be a C-clamp, spring clamp, or pipe clamp — and is often portable rather than bench-mounted. Pliers are handheld pincers used for gripping, bending, or cutting small objects; they require the user's hand strength rather than a screw mechanism. A wrench (or spanner in British English) is designed specifically to turn nuts and bolts, not to hold objects in place. Example: "The carpenter used a vise to hold the table leg while sanding, then a clamp to glue the frame, and finally a pair of pliers to remove a stubborn nail."

vise ↗clamp ↗pliers ↗wrench ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • in a vise
  • like a vise
  • jaws of a vise
  • tighten the vise
  • loosen the vise

Prepositions

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchEnglish

Vise comes from Old French 'vis', meaning 'a screw' or 'a winding device', which traces back to Latin 'vitis' (vine) — a reference to the twisting, spiraling motion of vine tendrils. The sense of a clamping tool developed from the screw mechanism at its core. The American spelling 'vise' distinguishes the tool from the Latin-based 'vice' (bad habit or deputy), while British English uses 'vice' for both.

First known use

1500

1500, in the meaning defined at sense 1 Verb (1)