noun · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːsɛps/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɔːsəps/
Southern-England:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
General-American:/ˈfoɹsɛps/
/ˈfɔ(ː)ɹsɛps/without the horse–hoarse merger, rhotic
CMU ARPABET:F AO1 R S EH0 P S
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
noun
Meaning 1
An instrument used in surgery or medical procedures for grasping and holding objects, similar to tongs or pincers.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A pair of appendages on the abdomen of some insects, such as earwigs, resembling the medical instrument.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Topics: biology, entomology, natural-sciences
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
noun
Meaning 3
an extractor consisting of a pair of pincers used in medical treatment (especially for the delivery of babies)
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
