# scissors

Pronunciation: US say "SIZ-urz" /ˈsɪzɚz/; UK say "SIZ-uhz" /ˈsɪzəz/

## Noun

1. A cutting tool made of two crossing blades joined at a pivot, which slide past each other to cut thin material when the handles close.
   - Simple: A cutting tool with two blades joined in the middle that slice when you close the handles.
   - _The tailor's heavy scissors cut through three layers of fabric at once._
   - _A child should always carry scissors with the points facing down._
2. In rock-paper-scissors, the two-finger handshape that beats paper and loses to rock, and in the lizard-Spock variant also beats lizard but loses to Spock.
   - Simple: In the hand game, the two-finger shape that cuts paper but is crushed by rock.
   - _She beat my paper by throwing scissors at the last second._
   - _Played against rock, scissors will always lose._
3. An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth past each other, suggesting the opening-and-closing motion of scissors.
   - Simple: A floor exercise where you switch your straight legs back and forth, like opening and closing blades.
   - _He added a weighted scissors to make the core workout harder._
   - _Gymnasts often warm up with scissors before their tumbling passes._
4. A hold in which one fighter traps an opponent between the crossed legs, squeezing like a closing pair of blades.
   - Simple: A grip in wrestling where you squeeze someone between your crossed legs.
   - _The wrestler locked in a body scissors and held it until the bell._
   - _A well-timed scissors can pin a stronger opponent to the mat._
5. An attacking move by two players, in which the player without the ball runs behind the ball carrier and takes a pass on the opposite side.
   - Simple: A team move where one player cuts behind the ball carrier and takes a pass on the other side.
   - _The fly-half threw a perfect scissors to wrong-foot the defense._
   - _A well-executed scissors split the opposition's midfield wide open._
6. A skating method in which one foot is held significantly ahead of the other along the line of travel.
   - Simple: A way of skating with one foot kept well in front of the other.
   - _He used a low scissors to keep control on the steep slope._
   - _A wide scissors gives skaters more stability at speed._
7. A defensive maneuver in air combat in which a pilot repeatedly turns the aircraft toward the attacker to force them to overshoot.
   - Simple: A flying move where a pilot keeps turning toward the attacker to make them shoot past.
   - _The pilot relied on scissors to force the trailing fighter to overshoot._
   - _Good scissors demands tight, well-timed turns into the threat._
8. A single occurrence of the defensive air-combat maneuver in which a pilot turns repeatedly toward an attacker to force an overshoot.
   - Simple: A single use of the air-combat move where a pilot keeps turning into the attacker to force an overshoot.
   - _One sharp scissors was enough to make the attacker overshoot._
   - _After a desperate scissors, the pilot finally gained the advantage._

## Verb

9. Third-person singular simple present indicative of scissor. — third-person singular simple present indicative of scissor
   - Simple: The form of scissor used in the present with he, she, it, or a singular noun such as the dog or water.
   - _The machine scissors the sheet metal along a marked line._
   - _She scissors each photograph free of its border before mounting it._

## Verb

10. Rare form of scissor. *(rare)* — Rare form of scissor (“to cut using, or as if using, scissors”).
   - Simple: Rare form of scissor. It means to cut something using scissors.

## Interjection

11. A dated exclamation used to express sudden anguish or frustration. *(dated)*
   - Simple: An old exclamation people shouted when annoyed or upset.
   - _Scissors! The rain has ruined my new hat._
   - _Oh, scissors, not another delay before supper._

## Noun

12. Plural of scissor. Rare; for more than one tool, "pairs of scissors" is usual. *(rare)* — plural of scissor
   - Simple: Plural of scissor. This is rare: for more than one tool, most people say pairs of scissors.
   - _He kept three scissors of different sizes in the drawer._
   - _The workshop's scissors all needed sharpening before the job._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English sisours (attested since 1350–1400), from Old French cisoirs, from Late Latin cīsōria, the plural of cīsōrium ("cutting tool"), ultimately tied to Latin roots meaning "to cut." It partly displaced the native Old English sċēara (source of "shears") and is a doublet of "chisel." The modern spelling, from the 16th century, arose through association with Medieval Latin scissor ("tailor, carver, cutter").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/scissors (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).