SCISSORS

scissors

(noun) a gymnastic exercise performed on the pommel horse when the gymnast moves his legs as the blades of scissors move

scissors, scissors hold, scissor hold, scissor grip, scissors grip

(noun) a wrestling hold in which you wrap your legs around the opponents body or head and put your feet together and squeeze

scissors, pair of scissors

(noun) an edge tool having two crossed pivoting blades

Source: WordNet® 3.1


Etymology

Noun

scissors (plural scissors)

(countable, usually, construed as plural) 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.

(countable, rugby) 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.

(countable, skating) A method of skating with one foot significantly in front of the other.

(countable, gymnastics) An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth, suggesting the motion of scissors.

(countable, wrestling) A scissors hold.

(rock paper scissors) A hand with the index and middle fingers open (a handshape resembling scissors), that beats paper and is loses to rock. It beats lizard and loses to Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.

scissors

(rare) plural of scissor

Usage notes

• "A pair of scissors" is preferred to "a scissors" by about a four-to-one margin in the US (COCA).

• "The scissors" is preferred to "the scissor" by about a thirty-to-one margin in the US (COCA).

Synonyms

• (tool used for cutting): pair of scissors; shears

• (rugby): switch

Verb

scissors

Third-person singular simple present indicative form of scissor

(transitive, rare) To cut using, or as if using, scissors.

Source: Wiktionary


Scis"sors, n. pl. Etym: [OE. sisoures, OF. cisoires (cf. F. ciseaux), probably fr. LL. cisorium a cutting instrument, fr. L. caedere to cut. Cf. Chisel, Concise. The modern spelling is due to a mistaken derivation from L. scissor one who cleaves or divides, fr. scindere, scissum, to cut, spilt.]

Definition: A cutting instrument resembling shears, but smaller, consisting of two cutting blades with handles, movable on a pin in the center, by which they are held together. Often called a pair of scissors. [Formerly written also cisors, cizars, and scissars.] Scissors grinder (Zoöl.), the European goatsucker. [Prov. Eng.]

SCISSOR

Scis"sor, v. t.

Definition: To cut with scissors or shears; to prepare with the aid of scissors. Massinger.

Source: Webster’s Unabridged Dictionary 1913 Edition



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Word of the Day

28 April 2024

POLYGENIC

(adjective) of or relating to an inheritable character that is controlled by several genes at once; of or related to or determined by polygenes


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Coffee Trivia

The Boston Tea Party helped popularize coffee in America. The hefty tea tax imposed on the colonies in 1773 resulted in America switching from tea to coffee. In the lead up to the Revolutionary War, it became patriotic to sip java instead of tea. The Civil War made the drink more pervasive. Coffee helped energize tired troops, and drinking it became an expression of freedom.

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