That sounds like a grabbing/tongs-type agricultural or blacksmithing tool, but the details you gave aren’t quite enough to identify it confidently.
The combination of heavy iron construction + hinge + curved jaws + jagged teeth suggests it was designed to grip something firmly rather than cut it. Possibilities include an old:
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Log/timber grab or lifting tongs — serrated jaws bite into wood when weight is applied.
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Blacksmith’s gripping tool — used to hold irregular or hot material.
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Post/rail or fencing tool — some older farm tools had toothed jaws for gripping posts, wire, or hardware.
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Specialized animal-handling tool — less likely, depending on the size and shape.
A photo would make identification much easier. If you upload clear pictures of the whole tool, both sides of the jaws, and the hinge/handle area (with something like a ruler for scale), I can try to identify it and explain exactly how it was used.
