Library / English Dictionary

SCISSORS

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

 I. (noun) 

Sense 1

Meaning:

A gymnastic exercise performed on the pommel horse when the gymnast moves his legs as the blades of scissors move

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("scissors" is a kind of...):

gymnastic exercise ((gymnastics) an exercise designed to develop and display strength and agility and balance (usually performed with or on some gymnastic apparatus))

Sense 2

Meaning:

A wrestling hold in which you wrap your legs around the opponents body or head and put your feet together and squeeze

Synonyms:

scissor grip; scissor hold; scissors; scissors grip; scissors hold

Classified under:

Nouns denoting acts or actions

Hypernyms ("scissors" is a kind of...):

wrestling hold (a hold used in the sport of wrestling)

Sense 3

Meaning:

An edge tool having two crossed pivoting blades

Synonyms:

pair of scissors; scissors

Classified under:

Nouns denoting man-made objects

Hypernyms ("scissors" is a kind of...):

compound lever (a pair of levers hinged at the fulcrum)

edge tool (any cutting tool with a sharp cutting edge (as a chisel or knife or plane or gouge))

Meronyms (parts of "scissors"):

blade (the flat part of a tool or weapon that (usually) has a cutting edge)

Domain usage:

plural; plural form (the form of a word that is used to denote more than one)

Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "scissors"):

clipper (scissors for cutting hair or finger nails (often used in the plural))

shears (large scissors with strong blades)

snuffers (scissors for cropping and holding the snuff of a candlewick)

 II. (verb) 

Sense 1

Present simple (third person singular) of the verb scissor

Credits

 Context examples: 

In the present instance there was no escape, and having clashed her scissors rebelliously, while protesting that she smelled thunder, she gave in, put away her work, and taking up her hat and gloves with an air of resignation, told Amy the victim was ready.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

The pleasantness of the morning had induced him to walk forward, and leave his horses to meet him by another road, a mile or two beyond Highbury—and happening to have borrowed a pair of scissors the night before of Miss Bates, and to have forgotten to restore them, he had been obliged to stop at her door, and go in for a few minutes: he was therefore later than he had intended; and being on foot, was unseen by the whole party till almost close to them.

(Emma, by Jane Austen)

There was nothing to do but to bring out the scissors and cut the beard, whereby a small part of it was lost.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

The paper is cut off in two snips with a short-bladed scissors.

(His Last Bow, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Last night after tea, when you and mama went out of the room, they were whispering and talking together as fast as could be, and he seemed to be begging something of her, and presently he took up her scissors and cut off a long lock of her hair, for it was all tumbled down her back; and he kissed it, and folded it up in a piece of white paper; and put it into his pocket-book.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Then he went out again; and then she put her thimble and scissors in her pocket, and stuck a needle threaded with black thread neatly in the bosom of her gown, and put on her outer clothing smartly, at a little glass behind the door, in which I saw the reflection of her pleased face.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Then the kid had to run home and fetch scissors, and a needle and thread, and the goat cut open the monster’s stomach, and hardly had she made one cut, than one little kid thrust its head out, and when she had cut farther, all six sprang out one after another, and were all still alive, and had suffered no injury whatever, for in his greediness the monster had swallowed them down whole.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

He rose from his seat, and walked to the window, apparently from not knowing what to do; took up a pair of scissors that lay there, and while spoiling both them and their sheath by cutting the latter to pieces as he spoke, said, in a hurried voice, Perhaps you do not know—you may not have heard that my brother is lately married to—to the youngest—to Miss Lucy Steele.

(Sense and Sensibility, by Jane Austen)

Then just as he was going to fire at him, it occurred to him that the wolf might have devoured the grandmother, and that she might still be saved, so he did not fire, but took a pair of scissors, and began to cut open the stomach of the sleeping wolf.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)

In her anger she clutched Rapunzel’s beautiful tresses, wrapped them twice round her left hand, seized a pair of scissors with the right, and snip, snap, they were cut off, and the lovely braids lay on the ground.

(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)