forfex
- a pair of shears or scissors: forfices sunt quibus incidimus: forcipes quibus aliquid firmum tenemus, Serv. ad Verg. A. 8, 453: vitiosa grana (in uva), forficibus amputant, Col. 12, 44, 4; Cels. 7, 21, 1: qualem (barbam) forficibus metit supinis Tonsor, Mart. 7, 95, 12; cf. Vitr. 10, 2, 2.—
- II Transf.
- A A claw of a crab: cancris bina brachia denticulatis forficibus, Plin. 9, 31, 51, § 97; of a locust, id. 32, 11, 53, § 148; of a beetle, id. 11, 28, 34, § 97.—
- B Perh., a kind of battle-array, v. forceps, II.
non cirros capitis ferrata forfice dempsit
quod periti legis auditores suos ‥ quasi ~ice praepararent
~ices,scerero , ‥ ~ex,isernscereru
~ices,rœglsceara
caput ‥ meum tonde cum forvice, prolixi sunt enim cincinni
pater arreptis ~icibus accessit ad cadaver, volens pelliculam abscidere
forcipe fila, filum cape ~ice, forpice ferrum
quicquid filo ac ~ice manibus fieri solet ‥ pedibus ista compleret
Dalida fatales furatur forfice crines
cum ~icibus ‥ incide fortiter stringendo
reddendo ‥ annuatim ad scaccarium regis ‥ j par ~icum precii iij d.
[ex brachio regis ] exivit vermis magnus qui vocatur ~ix
➳ il est possible, comme le croit Charisius (94, 21), que forfex soit le même mot que forceps.
Forfice fila, pilum cape Forpice , Forcipe ferrum.
Ita etiam auctor Mamotrecti ad cap. 7. Isaiæ. Hocce discrimen non observant Gesta
Regum Franc. cap. 24 : Illi statim remiserunt Arcadium ad Reginam, dicentes : Hic
sunt Forfices , et ecce gladius : sic mandant filii tui ; si vis eos tondere, aut gladio
perimere, etc. Ubi Gregor. Turon. lib. 3. cap. 18. habet Ut nemo in faciendis coronis
(Clericorum) Forpices vel manutergia exigat. Archithrenius lib.
3. cap. 3 :
Forfice tonsa pilos, etc. Idem lib. 2. cap. 3 :
Prodigus in latum, nec castigatus avaro
Forpice, procedit tunicæ discursus, etc.
Hoc ordine
eadem tonsura agitur. Sacerdoti Missam celebraturo adest Armarius cum libro, Magister
novitiorum cum Forpice et linteo, etc.Forbice
FORFEXdim. FORFICULA (ψαλίς. dim. ψαλίδιον), shears (Serv. in Verg. A. 8.453), used (1) in shearing sheep, as represented in the annexed woodcut, which is taken from a carnelian in the Stosch collection of antique gems at Berlin; (2) in cutting hair (Schol. in Eurip. Orest. 954; Brunck, Anal. 3.9; Verg. Catal. 8.9; ferro bidenti, Ciris, 213); (3) in clipping hedges, myrtles, and other shrubs (ψαλιστοὶ μυρρινῶνες, Hierocles, ap. Stob. Serm. 65, p. 415).
In military manoeuvres the forfex was a tenaille, i. e. a body of troops arranged in the form of a V, so as to receive and overcome the opposite body, called a cuneus (Gell. 10.9).
In architecture the term ψαλὶς denoted a construction which was probably the origin of the arch, consisting of two stones leaning against each other so as to form an acute angle overhead, as is seen in the ruins of Tiryns and other prehistoric buildings (Plat. Legg. 12.947 D; Diod. Sic. 2.9; see the second cut under ARCUSp. 171 b). Later the ψαλὶς is hardly to be distinguished from the true arch; see references in L. and S., ed. 7. [CAMARA]
[J.Y] [W.W]dim. forficŭla (ψαλίς, dim. ψαλίδιον). Shears ( Serv. in Verg. Aen. viii. 453), used (1) in shearing sheep, as represented in the annexed illustration, which is taken from a carnelian in the Stosch collection of antique gems at Berlin;
(2) in cutting hair (Schol. in Eurip. Orest. 954);
(3) in clipping hedges, myrtles, and other shrubs (ψαλιστοὶ μυρρινῶνες, Hierocles, ap. Serm. 65, p. 415).
In military manoeuvres the forfex was a body of troops arranged in the form of a V, so as to receive and overcome the opposite body, called a cuneus (Gell.x. 9).
In architecture the term ψαλίς denoted a construction which was probably the origin of the arch, consisting of two stones leaning against each other so as to form an acute angle overhead, as is seen in the ruins of Tiryns. See p. 117.