Etymology

17th century (1645–55): plural of tweeser (on the model of nippers, pincers, pliers or scissors), from obsolete tweeze ‎(“case for small instruments”) (or alternatively, alteration of plural form tweezes), aphetic form of earlier etweese (plural of etwee), from French étuis, plural of French étui ‎(“case, box, cover”) (from Old French estui ‎(“container, prison”, noun), derivative of Old French étuier (earlier spelling, Old French estuier ‎(“to shut up, guard, keep, preserve, save, enclose, place in a cover”), probably from Vulgar Latin *estudiāre ‎(“to keep, treat with care”) or *studiāre, from Latin studēre ‎(“to care about”).

Pronunciation