LATIN DICTIONARYLexicon Latīnum
noun · femininethird declension

forfex

forfex f or m (genitive forficis)
Classical[ˈfɔr.fɛks]Ecclesiastical[ˈfɔr.feks]

Meaning

  1. femininemasculinepair of shears or scissors

Declension

declension
formsingularplural
nominativeforfexforficēs
genitiveforficisforficum
dativeforficīforficibus
accusativeforficemforficēs
ablativeforficeforficibus
vocativeforfexforficēs

forfex, fĭcis, f. forus-facio,
I. a pair of shears or scissors: forfices sunt quibus incidimus: forcipes quibus aliquid firmum tenemus, Serv. ad Verg. A. 8, 453: vitiosa grana (in uva), forficibus amputant, Col. 12, 44, 4; Cels. 7, 21, 1: qualem (barbam) forficibus metit supinis Tonsor, Mart. 7, 95, 12; cf. Vitr. 10, 2, 2.—
II. Transf.
A. A claw of a crab: cancris bina brachia denticulatis forficibus, Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 97; of a locust, id. 32, 11, 53, § 148; of a beetle, id. 11, 28, 34, § 97.—
B. Perh., a kind of battle-array, v. forceps, II.

Origins

Proto-Indo-European *bʰerdʰ-der. Proto-Italic *forðomder. Latin forfex According to De Vaan, from Proto-Italic *forðom, from Proto-Indo-European *bʰerdʰ- (“to capture, shear”), and cognate with Umbrian [script needed] (furfant, “to do something (probably shearing) to sheep”), Ancient Greek πέρθω (pérthō, “to sack, to ravage”), and πορθέω (porthéō, “to pillage”).

Descendants
  • Frenchforces
  • Occitanforfe
  • Occitanforfias
  • Italianforbicefrom Old Italian forfice
  • Italianforbicifrom Old Italian forfice
  • Romanianfoarfecă
  • Romanianfoarfece
  • Sardinianfóltighe
  • Sardinianfórfiga
  • Sardinianfórfighe

In the Academy Smith's classical dictionaries

AntiquitiesForfexForfex dim. FORFICULA (ψαλίς. dim. ψαλίδιον), shears (Serv. in Verg. A. 8.453), used (1) in shearing sheep, as represented in the annexed woodcut, whi…

Quick answers

What does forfex mean in Latin?
forfex, a noun, means “pair of shears or scissors”.
What is the genitive of forfex?
The genitive singular is forficis. forfex is feminine, third declension.
How do you pronounce forfex?
In classical Latin, [ˈfɔr.fɛks]; in ecclesiastical (church) Latin, [ˈfɔr.feks].