scissors
Language: English
Part of speech: noun
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈsɪzəz/
enpr: sĭzʹərz
ipa: /ˈsɪzɚz/
rhymes: -ɪzə(ɹ)z
Forms: form: scissor
form: cizars
form: cizers
form: scissars
form: sissors
Etymology: From Middle English sisours (attested since 1350–1400), from Old French cisoirs, from Late Latin cīsōria, plural of cīsōrium (“cutting tool”); from Latin word root -cīsus (compare excise) or caesus, past participle of caedō (“to cut”). Partially displaced native Old English sċēara (“scissors, shears”), whence shears. Doublet of chisel.
The current spelling, from the 16th century, is due to association with Medieval Latin scissor (“tailor”), from Latin carrying the meaning “carver, cutter”, from scindō (“to split”).
Senses: examples: text: Near-synonym: shears
raw_tags: indicating singular or plural scissors
text: Those scissors are sharp.
raw_tags: less commonly to indicate singular scissors
text: That scissors is sharp.
text: Scissors are used to cut the flowers.
text: Use scissors to cut them if you don't have proper shears.
text: Roses will last longer if a knife rather than a scissors is used to cut the blooms.
ref: 1947 June 22, “Around the Garden”, in New York Times:
glosses: A tool used for cutting thin material, consisting of two crossing blades attached at a pivot point in such a way that the blades slide across each other when the handles are closed.
raw_tags: construed as plural
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
war
glosses: A type of defensive maneuver in dogfighting, involving repeatedly turning one's aircraft towards that of the attacker in order to force them to overshoot.
raw_tags: with the
topics: aeronautics
aerospace
aviation
business
engineering
government
military
natural-sciences
physical-sciences
politics
war
glosses: An instance of the above dogfighting maneuver.
examples: text: They executed a perfect scissors.
topics: ball-games
games
hobbies
lifestyle
rugby
sports
glosses: An attacking move conducted by two players; the player without the ball runs from one side of the ball carrier, behind the ball carrier, and receives a pass from the ball carrier on the other side.
topics: hobbies
lifestyle
skating
sports
glosses: A method of skating with one foot significantly in front of the other.
topics: gymnastics
hobbies
lifestyle
sports
glosses: An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth, suggesting the motion of scissors.
topics: government
hobbies
lifestyle
martial-arts
military
politics
sports
war
wrestling
glosses: A scissors hold.
topics: games
rock-paper-scissors
glosses: A hand with the index and middle fingers open (a handshape resembling scissors), that beats paper and loses to rock. It beats lizard and loses to Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
Synonyms: word: scissor
sense: tool used for cutting
word: pair of scissors
sense: tool used for cutting
word: shears
topics: rugby
ball-games
games
sports
hobbies
lifestyle
word: switch
Hyponyms: sense: dogfight maneuver
word: flat scissors
sense: dogfight maneuver
word: rolling scissors
Derived terms: agrarian scissors
crash scissors
dummy scissors
elbow scissors
genetic scissors
grafting scissors
marble scissors
Mayo scissors
Metzenbaum scissors
nail scissors
paper scissors stone
price scissors
probe-scissors
rock paper scissors
rock-paper-scissors
run with scissors
safety scissors
scissor
scissors-and-paste
scissorsbill
scissors bite
scissors crisis
scissors crossing
scissors crossover
scissors-glasses
scissors kick
scissors paper stone
scissorstail
scissors-tailed
texturizing scissors
thinning scissors
trauma scissors
Related terms: scissorial