PRONUNCIATION:

(PANS-nay, PINS-) 

MEANING:

noun: A pair of eyeglasses held in place by a spring that grips the nose.

ETYMOLOGY:

From French pince-nez, literally, pinch-nose. Ultimately from the Indo-European root nas- (nose) that is also the source of other words for nose: English nose, Hindi nak, Spanish nariz, French nez, and related words nuzzle, nostril, nasal, and nark. Earliest documented use: 1866.

NOTES:

We may now wonder why someone didn’t think of the obvious solution of adding side arms sooner, but hindsight is 20/20. Pince-nez were an improvement over what they used before: a lorgnette.

USAGE:

“Edward Weston had pince-nez on a cord around his neck and would peer at her through the lenses of the glasses.”
Matt Schudel; Charis Wilson, Model and Muse; The Washington Post; Nov 25, 2009.