scissor

1 of 2

noun

scis·​sor ˈsi-zər How to pronounce scissor (audio)

scissor

2 of 2

verb

scissored; scissoring ˈsi-zə-riŋ How to pronounce scissor (audio)
ˈsiz-riŋ

transitive verb

: to cut, cut up, or cut off with scissors or shears
scissored the paper into strips

Examples of scissor in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Noun
Officers cut the Eagles sweatshirt with scissors and examined the tattoo on the back of the bloodied inmate, who was bitten on the scalp by the dog. Ray Sanchez, CNN, 13 Sep. 2023 Ready for anything, the Micra is small enough to fit on a keychain and features 10 tools: a knife, scissors, bottle opener, Philips screwdriver, ruler, nail cleaner, nail file, tweezers, medium screwdriver, and an extra-small screwdriver. Kathleen Felton, Better Homes & Gardens, 21 Aug. 2023 The only chicken that was not dead was the one with the scissor beak. Martha McPhee, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2023 When handing a knife or a pair of scissors to someone else, one handed the article with the handle toward the recipient and the blade tip pointed toward oneself. Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin, oregonlive, 12 Sep. 2023 Patrols organized by factories and schools cut flared pants and long hair with scissors. Li Yuan, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2023 And of course some players don’t even have to leave their hotel rooms: Farel carries a pair of scissors on his person throughout the day for emergency calls from celebs like Carlos Alcaraz, currently ranked the number one men's player in the world. Gabrielle Bluestone, Town & Country, 10 Sep. 2023 Saws, scissors and screwdrivers: Check them, check them, check them. Jamie L. Lareau, Detroit Free Press, 7 Aug. 2023 Herb scissors This tool also got multiple nominations, including from the aforementioned Boss of Me. Becky Krystal, Washington Post, 7 Aug. 2023
Verb
Max Ernst collages are the type of this kind, made from many common sources—cheap advertisements in the back of the newspaper or department-store catalogue—scissored together into a new appearance of meaning. Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 1 Mar. 2023 Kneel, sit cross-legged, scissor your legs with one leg at a 90 degree angle in front of you (and one behind), or sit with your legs straight in front of you (or with one bent and your foot on the floor). Ben Court, Men's Health, 24 Mar. 2023 Its two beams scissor back and forth across the canopy at 400,000 pulses per second, and the echoes reveal the geometry of every tree, branch, and sometimes leaf. Ed Yong, Discover Magazine, 21 Mar. 2012 Her book recalls the photomontages of Hannah Höch, in which objects, text, and images from the German media are scissored up and juxtaposed, producing unexpected scenarios that feel all the more truthful for their strangeness. Mireille Juchau, The New Yorker, 7 Nov. 2019 His legs scissored apart in soaring full splits, the unbound flexibility delivering an extra sensation of vigor and freedom. Sarah L. Kaufman, Washington Post, 18 June 2019 Like its predecessors—the Countach, Diablo, and Murciélago—the Aventador SV is an impossibly wide, ridiculously low-slung blade of a car, with doors that scissor skyward and a huge V-12 behind the seats. Ezra Dyer, Popular Mechanics, 2 Feb. 2016 Arctic Ivanoff placed second in the boys scissor broad jump and finished fourth in both the two-foot high kick and the one-hand reach. Anchorage Daily News, 28 Apr. 2018 Without any option other than letting the forward through or cutting him down, the 28-year-old opted for the latter; scissoring his opponent as the last man and bringing him to ground after only nine seconds. SI.com, 24 Oct. 2017 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scissor.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Verb

circa 1625, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of scissor was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near scissor

Cite this Entry

“Scissor.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/scissor. Accessed 1 Oct. 2023.

Kids Definition

scissor

1 of 2 noun
scis·​sor ˈsiz-ər How to pronounce scissor (audio)

scissor

2 of 2 verb
scissored; scissoring -(ə-)riŋ How to pronounce scissor (audio)
: to cut with scissors or shears
scissored the paper into strips

More from Merriam-Webster on scissor

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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