The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Pliers \Pli"ers\, n. pl. [From Ply to bend, fold.]
   A kind of small pinchers with long jaws, -- used for bending
   or cutting metal rods or wire, for handling small objects
   such as the parts of a watch, etc.
   [1913 Webster]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

pliers
    n 1: a gripping hand tool with two hinged arms and (usually)
         serrated jaws [syn: pliers, pair of pliers, plyers]