Illustrated Companion to the Latin Dictionary/Forceps

This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Rich, Anthony (1849). The illustrated companion to the Latin dictionary, and Greek lexicon. p. vi. OCLC 894670115. https://archive.org/details/illustratedcompa00rich. 

FORCEPS (πυράγρα). A pair of tongs, such as were used by smiths for taking the heated metal out of the fire, and holding it upon the anvil, whilst being worked. (Isidor. Orig. xix. 7. 3. Ov. Met. xii. 277. Virg. Aen. viii. 453.) The example (Forceps/1.1) represents a pair of Vulcan’s tongs, from a marble bas-relief. Compare illustrations s. MARCUS and MARCULUS.

2. (ῥιζάγρα). A particular kind of dentist’s instrument, in the form of pincers, employed for extracting the roots of decayed teeth (Celsus, vii. 12. 1.); a purpose which medical men have assigned to the instrument here figured (Forceps/2.1), from an original discovered, amongst other surgical instruments, in a house at Pompeii, and for which it seems well adapted.

3. (ὀδοντάγρα). A pair of pincers for drawing teeth (Celsus, vii. 12. 1.), which were constructed with bent claws (uncis). Lucil. Sat. xix. 11. Gerlach.

4. (ἀρδιοθήρα) Serv. ad. Virg. Aen. xii. 404.) A pair of pincers expressly constructed for the purpose of extracting spear or arrow heads from wounds. Virg. and Serv. l. c.

5. In military language; same as FORFEX, 3. Cato, ap. Fest. s. Serra.

• 
  Forceps/1.1
• 
  Forceps/2.1