Lewis & Short

Parsing inflected forms may not always work as expected. If the following does not give the correct word, try Latin Words or Perseus.

forceps, cĭpis (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.

  1. 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).
  2. 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).