Significados de little pincers en inglés

Of what use are these strange little pincers or rods?

They were flayed alive, or pulled apart with little pincers, or clasped in the arms of the red-hot Virgin.

Then I was put in a chair and held tight, Rob, while he used his ugly little pincers till the stone hopped out.

What horrible jest of nature this was, with miniatures of the Wandl workers, crawling here, unable to stand erect, groping with little pincers.