noun

scissors

SIZ-erz/ˈsɪzərz/

A tool with two blades closing around a shared pivot.

The scissors have two crossed blades joined at a shared pivot.

A single pair of slightly open scissors, viewed from above, clearly showing two crossed metal blades joined by a visible pivot and two finger loops.

Etymology

The French ancestor already named shears, so the cutting-tool meaning is inherited. Its ultimate connection is to Latin caedere, ‘to cut,’ tying the name to the tool’s function.

In context

Kidney Cancer19:52

then we take scissors and we cut around the tumor

Kidney Cancer Association

More examples

These scissors are too dull to cut fabric.
Keep the scissors closed when you carry them.
He keeps small scissors in his sewing kit.

Forms

scissors

Similar words

shears: Usually larger and heavier, for tougher cutting jobs.
snips: Small cutters often used for short cuts in sheet metal.