a kind of battlearray

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. ther-, thermê, theros; 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.

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).—

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).

turris, is (acc. turrim and turrem; abl. turri and turre; v. Neue, Formenl. I. 196 sqq.), f., = turris.

Lit.

In gen., a tower:

eā ballistā si pervortam turrim,

Plaut. Bacch. 4, 4, 59: apud vetustam turrem, Att. ap. Prisc. p. 761 P.:

Dionysius contionari ex turri altā solebat,

Cic. Tusc. 5, 20, 59:

in omni turre,

Val. Fl. 1, 14:

celsae graviore casu Decidunt turres,

Hor. C. 2, 10, 11; cf.

altae,

id. Epod. 17, 70:

Dardanae,

id. C. 4, 6, 7:

aënea,

Ov. Am. 2, 19, 27.—

In partic., a military tower, for defence of a camp or the walls of a city:

turrim in praecipiti stantem Adgressi ferro,

Verg. A. 2, 460; Caes. B. G. 5, 40; 6, 29; id. B. C. 3, 9; Cic. Prov. Cons. 2, 4;

for attack in a siege,

Caes. B. G. 3, 21; Cic. Fam. 15, 4, 10; Liv. 32, 17, 17;

on the backs of elephants,

id. 37, 40, 4;

on a ship,

id. 37, 24, 6 et saep.—

Transf.

For any high building, a castle, palace, citadel:

pauperum tabernas Regumque turres,

Hor. C. 1, 4, 14; so,

regia,

Ov. M. 8, 14:

Maecenatiana,

Suet. Ner 38:

maris vastum prospectet turribus aequor,

Tib. 1, 7, 19.—

A dove-cot built in the form of a tower, Varr. R. R. 3, 3, 6; Ov. P. 1, 6, 51.—

A kind of battlearray when the troops were arranged in a square, Cato ap. Fest. s. v. serra, p. 344 Müll.; cf. Gell. 10, 9, 1.