LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · masculinethird declension

forceps

forceps m (genitive forcipis)
Classical[ˈfɔr.kɛps]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɔr.t͡ʃeps]

Meaning

  1. masculinetongs, pincers, forceps

Latīnē defined in Latin in our graded readers

īnstrūmentum quod duābus partibus premit
forceps -ipis (f) — in IVLIANVS I: Gallia, ch. 10
ferrāmentum fabrī, quō rēs candentēs tenentur
forceps forcipis (f) — in Metamorphoses I, ch. 18

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeforcepsforcipēs
genitiveforcipisforcipum
dativeforcipīforcipibus
accusativeforcipemforcipēs
ablativeforcipeforcipibus
vocativeforcepsforcipēs

forceps, cĭpis (
I. gen. plur. forcipium, Lucil. ap. Charis. p. 74), m. and f. (m., Cels. 7, 12; 8, 4; f., Ov. M. 12, 277) [root in Sanscr. ghar-mas, glow, warmth; Gr. θερ-, θέρμη, θέρος; Lat. for-mus, for-nus, fornax and cap-io], a pair of tongs, pincers, forceps (cf.: forfex, volsella): forcipem invenit Cinyra Agriopae filius, Plin. 7, 56, 57, § 195.
I. Lit.: Cyclopes versant tenaci forcipe ferrum, Verg. G. 4, 175; firetongs, id. A. 12, 404; Ov. M. 12, 277: uncis forcipibus dentes evelleret, Lucil. ap. Charis. p. 74 P.; pincers for drawing teeth, Cels. 7, 12; 8, 4; and for other surgical purposes, id. 7, 5; Col. 6, 26, 2: compressa forcipe lingua, Ov. M. 6, 556: ceu guttura forcipe pressus, id. ib. 9, 78: ferrei, iron tongs or hooks attached to a tackle, and which, by firmly grasping a mass of stone or marble, raise it aloft, Vitr. 10, 2 (al. forfices).—
II. Transf., a kind of battlearray, with diverging wings, Cato ap. Fest. s. v. serra, p. 344 Müll.; Gell. 10, 9, 1; Veg. Mil. 3, 18 (al. forfex).

Origins

  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. Latinforceps

Uncertain. Often derived from prehistoric *formokaps through syncope. Ultimately from formus (“warm”) + -ceps (“taker”). This etymology is partially based on Festus, who etymologizes the term as such: :* c. 2nd century, Sextus Pompeius Festus, De verborum significatione 91: formucapes forcipes dictae, quod forma capiant forcipes were named formucapes, because they hold warm things It is not clear whether the term formucapes actually existed in Latin at some point, and it's possible that the derivation from formus is merely a folk etymology. De Vaan mentions two possible alternatives: * It might reflect *foro-kaps-, itself from *foros. * It might contain an element related to ferrum (“iron”). In support of this theory, de Vaan notes that the word denotes a tool used by craftsmen.

Descendants
  • Catalanfòrceps
  • Englishforceps
  • Frenchforceps
  • Romanianforcepsfrom French forceps
  • GermanForzeps
  • Italianforcipe
  • Portuguesefórceps
  • Portuguesefórcipe
  • Spanishfórceps
  • Galicianfórceps

In English words that came into English from forceps

  • forcepsforceps

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesForcepsForceps tongs, pincers, nippers or pliers, were used in antiquity for the same purposes, and with many of the same varieties of shape, a. in modern ti…

Quick answers

What does forceps mean in Latin?
forceps, a noun, means “tongs, pincers, forceps”.
What is the genitive of forceps?
The genitive singular is forcipis. forceps is masculine, third declension.
How do you pronounce forceps?
In classical Latin, [ˈfɔr.kɛps]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfɔr.t͡ʃeps].
Where does forceps come from?
Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰer- → Proto-Indo-European *gʷʰormós → Proto-Italic *xʷormos → Proto-Italic *formos → Proto-Indo-European *kap- → Proto-Indo-European *kapyéti → Proto-Italic *kapjō → Proto-Italic *formokaps? → Latin forceps.