α.
1356 in H. T. Riley (1868) 283 (MED) [One pair of] pynsouns.
1357 in J. T. Fowler (1899) II. 560 (MED) Stanaxes, Hakkes, pikkes, chesels et pinceouns ponenend. et acuand.
a1400 tr. Lanfranc (Ashm.) (1894) 132 (MED) I aforce me to remeue þilke partie þat prickiþ wiþ pynsouns [v.r. pynsones; L. piccario].
a1475 (?a1430) J. Lydgate tr. G. Deguileville (Vitell.) 15827 (MED) In hyr hand..A gret hamer I beheld, And in the tother hand she held A peyre off pynsouns ek ther-wyth.
1550 in J. Strype (1721) II. ii. xxxiii. 538 A pair of pinsons, a little pot, and a guispin.
1570 J. Foxe (rev. ed.) II. 1010/2 His nose with sharpe pynsons was violently pluckt from his face.
1597 J. Payne 23 His fleshe by gobbets was nipt of with burnynge pyncheons.
1610 G. Markham ii. xcvi. 383 Grope the hoofe with a paire of pinsons.
1673 in N. W. Alcock (1993) v. 74 A hatchett, a bill, a hammer and pinsins.
1723 Parish Accts. Grandborough in (1951) 46 326 A fork & aspiade & a pare of pinsons 0-1-3.
a1729 E. Taylor (1962) 109 For though the Halter tamed hath the Curs Or Pinsons Cured have their tooth ach urrs.
1882 G. F. Jackson at Pinsons Gie me the omber [=hammer] an' pinsons 'ere, an' I'll soon fatch the nail out.
1887 T. Darlington Pinsons,..(2) a dentist's forceps. ‘I was staït enough than he drawed th' pinsons aït.’
1974 P. Wright xiv. 140 By historical rather than whimsical twists of the tongue, pincers often became pinsons or pinchers.
1995 J. M. Sims-Kimbrey 227/2 Pinsons, pincers.