scissors

Meanings

Noun

• 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.
• 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.
• 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.
• A method of skating with one foot significantly in front of the other.
• An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth, suggesting the motion of scissors.
• A scissors hold.
• 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.
• Plural of scissor

Verb

• Third-person singular simple present indicative form of scissor

Related

Similar words

• scissor
• pair of scissors; shears
• switch

Narrower meaning words

• flat scissors, rolling scissors

Origin

• From Middle English sisours, sisoures (attested since 1350–1400), from Old French cisoires, from Vulgar Latin *cīsōria, plural of Late Latin cīsōrium ("cutting tool") (compare chisel); from Latin word root -cīsus (compare excise) or caesus, past participle of caedō. Partially displaced native , whence shears.
• The current spelling, from the 16th century, is due to association with Medieval Latin scissor ("tailor"), from Latin carrying the meaning “carver, cutter”, from scindo.