This blog is for everyone who uses words.

The ordinary-sized words are for everyone, but the big ones are especially for children.



Friday, 6 November 2020

Word To Use Today: forcipes.

 The only real reason for letting this word into The Word Den is because it's such a peculiar plural that it's not even obvious that it is a plural, let alone what it means in the singular.

Still, it's got a cool derivation, too...

...in a matter of speaking.


photo by William Rafti of the William Rafti Institute

Word To Use Today: forcipes. (Forceps can also be the plural of forceps, and is a much more sensible word to use if you want people to understand what you're going on about, but it's not as eccentrically lovable.) This word comes from the Latin words formus, hot, and capere, to seize.



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