"small pincers with long jaws adapted for holding small articles," 1560s, plural agent noun from ply (v.2). French cognate plieur meant "folder."
Entries linking to pliers
ply v.2
"to bend, yield," late 14c., plien, from Old French plier, earlier pleier "to fold, bend," from Latin plicare "to lay, fold, twist" (from PIE root *plek- "to plait"). Related: Plied; plies; plying.