forficate

forficate [fawr-fi-kit, -keyt] Word Origin adjective

1. deeply forked, as the tail of a bird.

Origin of forficate 1810–20; Latin forfic- (stem of forfex) pair of shears (cf. forceps) + -ate1 British Dictionary definitions for forficate forficate adjective

1. (esp of the tails of certain birds) deeply forked

Word Origin for forficate C19: from Latin forfex scissors