English Explanatory Dictionary

scissors

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. An instance of the above dogfighting maneuver.
  4. 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.
  5. A method of skating with one foot significantly in front of the other.
  6. An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth, suggesting the motion of scissors.
  7. A scissors hold.
  8. 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.
noun
  1. plural of scissor
verb
  1. Rare form of scissor (“to cut using, or as if using, scissors”).
verb
  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of scissor
intj
  1. Cry of anguish or frustration.

Pronunciation

/ˈsɪzəz/ En-uk-scissors.ogg /ˈsɪzɚz/ en-us-scissors.ogg

Word forms

scissors scissor cizars cizers scissars sissors scissorses scissorsing scissorsed

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”).

Synonyms

scissor switch shears pair of scissors

Related words

scissorial

Derived words

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 congruence scissors-congruent scissors crisis scissors crossing scissors crossover scissors-glasses scissors kick scissors paper stone scissorstail scissors-tailed texturizing scissors thinning scissors trauma scissors
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