Recent Examples on the WebConsequently, researchers typically use forceps to collect scorpions.—Aspen Pflughoeft, Miami Herald, 17 Apr. 2024 The teen was put under general anesthesia, and using forceps, the quarter was removed, per the New England Journal of Medicine report.—Cara Lynn Shultz, Peoplemag, 10 Apr. 2024 Equipped with forceps and ultraviolet lights, researchers trekked through a grassy, rocky region of India.—Moira Ritter, Miami Herald, 25 Jan. 2024 Advancements in amputations Over the years, there have been a number of innovations in the field of amputation from the introduction of tools such as artery forceps in the 16th century to techniques to make the surgery more effective.—Mary Kekatos, ABC News, 10 Dec. 2023 The real culprit seems to have been a village vaccinator who dropped a forceps and failed to properly disinfect it.—Julia M. Klein, BostonGlobe.com, 11 Sep. 2023 And then there’s the matter of birth: amongst my friends, there have been emergency caesareans, prematurely ruptured membranes, forceps, episiotomies, and inductions, and that’s just the start of it.—Faye Keegan, Vogue, 24 June 2023 Surgical set Critical items would have included an amputation saw, tourniquet, trephines (for slicing into the skull), bone forceps, a large amputation knife, several smaller knives and suture needles.—Will McCarthy, Smithsonian Magazine, 20 June 2023 Speculums, catheters, painful injections, probes, forceps, follicles, egg counts and egg retrievals take over Jackson’s life.—Lisa Page, Washington Post, 13 June 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'forceps.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Latin, tongs, perhaps from formus warm + capere to take — more at therm, heave entry 1
: an instrument for grasping, holding firmly, or exerting traction upon objects especially for delicate operations (as by surgeons, obstetricians, or dentists)
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