forceps

American  

[fawr-suhps, -seps] / ˈfɔr səps, -sɛps /

noun

plural

forceps, forcipes

1. an instrument, as pincers or tongs, for seizing and holding objects, as in surgical operations.

2. Anatomy, Zoology. a part or feature resembling a forceps, especially a pair of appendages at the posterior of certain insects.

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forceps British  

/ ˈfɔːsɪps /

noun

1. 1. a surgical instrument in the form of a pair of pincers, used esp in the delivery of babies

   2. ( as modifier )

      a forceps baby

2. any pincer-like instrument

3. any part or structure of an organism shaped like a forceps

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Other Word Forms

• forceps-like adjective
• forcepslike adjective
• forcipial adjective

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

Compare meaning

How does forceps compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• forceps vs. hemostat

Example Sentences

By gently pulling apart the fillets with forceps and using a dissecting microscope, the team was able to count them accurately.

From Science Daily • Apr. 1, 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

Estimates vary but around 50% of people who have had babies experience some degree of prolapse and the use of forceps or a vacuum during birth increases the risk.

From Salon • Oct. 25, 2024

A cutdown involves an incision, then the use of forceps to pull tissue away from an interior vein.

From Seattle Times • Apr. 8, 2024

“There are two things. Either a high forceps delivery which can tear and be quite dangerous besides being possibly bad for the child, and a Caesarean.”

From "A Farewell To Arms" by Ernest Hemingway