forceps
Americannoun
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an instrument, as pincers or tongs, for seizing and holding objects, as in surgical operations.
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Anatomy, Zoology. a part or feature resembling a forceps, especially a pair of appendages at the posterior of certain insects.
noun
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a surgical instrument in the form of a pair of pincers, used esp in the delivery of babies
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( as modifier )
a forceps baby
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any pincer-like instrument
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any part or structure of an organism shaped like a forceps
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of forceps
1625–35; < Latin: pair of tongs, pincers, said to be a contraction of *formiceps, equivalent to form ( us ) warm + -i- -i- + -ceps -taker, derivative of capere to take ( cf. prince), i.e., that which takes hot things; compare, however, forpex, forfex tongs, shears, from which forceps may have been formed by folk etymology
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
To insert an IUD, a clinician opens the vagina using a speculum and grips the cervix with a type of forceps, which can cause a sudden, sharp pain.
From Slate • Jun. 7, 2026
Never mind all the newborns rolled out and swaddled like Christmas tamales, or the forceps deliveries that resemble tooth extractions.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025
Instead, treatment involves removing the visible eggs and larvae from the wound with forceps and applying a larvae-targeting pesticide.
From Salon • Apr. 28, 2025
Many said there had been shortages of medical equipment such as speculums, emergency adrenaline, ECG patches, forceps and gloves due to "constantly unpaid invoices", which they claimed had resulted in some appointments being cancelled.
From BBC • Feb. 26, 2025
Then her hands flicked open the metal fastenings on her black bag and began plucking out clear bottles of liquid, bandages, gleaming silver scissors, forceps, curved needles, and thread.
From "The Reader" by Traci Chee
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
