Skip to main content
Glite Dictionary
mouse-tooth forceps

mouse-tooth forceps

7.0
A small surgical tool that has tiny teeth at the tips and holds delicate body tissue
  • noun
  • /ˈmaʊsˌtuːθ ˈfɔːrˌsɛps/
  • Specialized
translation icon : pinzas de ratón
  • During the operation, she handed him the mouse-tooth forceps to hold the delicate tissue.

Examples

  • Nurses must ensure that mouse-tooth forceps are properly sterilized before any procedure.

  • The surgeon selected a pair of mouse-tooth forceps to gently grasp the thin membrane.

  • The surgeon used mouse-tooth forceps for the delicate procedure.

  • Can you pass me the mouse-tooth forceps?

  • Surgeons often use mouse-tooth forceps to securely grasp and manipulate delicate tissues during surgery.

  • Before closing the incision, the doctor carefully used the mouse-tooth forceps to hold the tissue in place.

  • The nurse handed the surgeon the mouse-tooth forceps to assist with the precise dissection of the area.

Synonyms

forceps
vsmouse-tooth forceps
  • Specialized
6.3

A small tool like tongs that doctors use to hold things during surgery or childbirth

is a specific surgical type with fine interlocking teeth for precise tissue grasping

Surface Forms

mouse-tooth forceps singular
mouse-tooth forceps plural

Morphology

mouse-tooth + forceps

The compound is compositionally transparent: it denotes a type of forceps characterized by 'mouse-tooth'—literally small/tooth-like projections—so a learner who knows 'mouse', 'tooth' and 'forceps' can infer it refers to forceps with small teeth for grasping tissue. The meaning follows a regular noun+noun naming pattern (modifier describing a physical feature of the instrument), which is cross-linguistically common and predictable.

Etymology

Mouse-tooth forceps is named for the tiny, sharp 'teeth' on the tips of the tool — mouse-tooth shows these little tooth-like points and forceps means the tool. Because those small teeth hold soft tissue without slipping, the term now means a pair of forceps used to 'grasp delicate tissue' during surgery.