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

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

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

Using the tips of her forefinger and thumb like a pair of forceps, she pulled at it and discovered a ten-ride pass for the New York, New Haven, and Hartford Railroad.

From "From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler" by E.L. Konigsburg