forceps

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UK/ˈfɔːsɛps/UK/ˈfɔːsəps/US/ˈfoɹsɛps//ˈfɔ(ː)ɹsɛps/

noun

An instrument used in surgery or medical procedures for grasping and holding objects, similar to tongs or pincers.

Similar
pair of forceps
OriginLatin forcep ← Proto-Italic *formokaps? ← Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti →
Less commonScrabble 14
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Meanings

nounforceps (plural forceps or forcipes or forcepses)

plural forcipes · plural forcepses

  1. An instrument used in surgery or medical procedures for grasping and holding objects, similar to tongs or pincers.
  2. biologyA pair of appendages on the abdomen of some insects, such as earwigs, resembling the medical instrument.

Synonyms & antonyms

Similar
pair of forceps
Narrower
serrefine
Also see
pair of forcepspincers

Origin

  1. Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰer-
  2. Proto-Indo-European*gʷʰormós
  3. Proto-Italic*xʷormos
  4. Proto-Italic*formos
  5. Proto-Indo-European*kap-
  6. Proto-Indo-European*kapyéti
  7. Proto-Italic*kapjō
  8. Proto-Italic*formokaps?
  9. Latinforcep
  10. Englishforceps

Learned borrowing from Latin forceps.

More words from Latin

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Ancient Greek λαβίς, πυράγρα
  • λαβίς (labís)instrument used in surgery
  • πυράγρα (purágra)instrument used in surgery
  • σαρκολαβίς (sarkolabís)instrument used in surgery
Bulgarian щипци
  • щипци (štipci)instrument used in surgery
Catalan fòrceps
  • fòrcepsinstrument used in surgery
Chinese Mandarin 鑷子 /镊子, 鉗子 /钳子
  • 鑷子 /镊子 (nièzi)instrument used in surgery
  • 鉗子 /钳子 (qiánzi)instrument used in surgery
  • 產鉗 /产钳 (chǎnqián)instrument used in surgery
Dutch pincet
  • pincetinstrument used in surgery
Estonian sünnitustangid
  • sünnitustangidinstrument used in surgery
Finnish pihdit, atulat
  • pihditinstrument used in surgery
  • atulatinstrument used in surgery
French forceps, davier
  • forcepsinstrument used in surgery
  • davierinstrument used in surgery
German Zange, Pinzette
  • Zangeinstrument used in surgery
  • Pinzetteinstrument used in surgery
  • Forzepsinstrument used in surgery
Greek λαβίδα
  • λαβίδα (lavída)instrument used in surgery
Hindi चिमटा
  • चिमटा (cimṭā)instrument used in surgery
Indonesian forsep
  • forsepinstrument used in surgery
Irish teanchair
  • teanchairinstrument used in surgery
Italian forcipe
  • forcipeinstrument used in surgery
Japanese 鉗子
  • 鉗子 (kanshi)instrument used in surgery
Korean 집게
  • 집게 (jipge)instrument used in surgery
Latin forceps
  • forcepsinstrument used in surgery
Malay forsep
  • forsepinstrument used in surgery
Polish kleszcze, szczypce
  • kleszczeinstrument used in surgery
  • szczypceinstrument used in surgery
Portuguese fórceps
  • fórcepsinstrument used in surgery
Russian щипцы́, пинце́т
  • щипцы́ (ščipcý)instrument used in surgery
  • пинце́т (pincét)instrument used in surgery
  • зажи́м (zažím)instrument used in surgery
Spanish fórceps
  • fórcepsinstrument used in surgery
Tagalog panipit
  • panipitinstrument used in surgery
Tamil சாவணம், இடுக்கி
  • சாவணம் (cāvaṇam)instrument used in surgery
  • இடுக்கி (iṭukki)instrument used in surgery
Turkish pens
  • pensinstrument used in surgery
Ukrainian акушерські щипці
  • акушерські щипці (akušersʹki ščypci)instrument used in surgery
Cite this entry
APA

forceps. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forceps

MLA

“forceps.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forceps. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “forceps,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/forceps.

Source: forceps on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.