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
The British automaker, known for two-seat convertibles with a high coolness quotient, serves this vehicle up with scissor doors and rear haunches that convey power. James Brooks and Jamey Keaten, Quartz, 26 Feb. 2024 Although this is purposed as a versatile street performer, don’t expect an overly pampering cockpit behind the scissor doors. Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 13 Feb. 2024 Volunteers with basic knowledge of sewing will need to bring their sewing machines and scissors. Shae Hammond, The Mercury News, 12 Jan. 2024 How the surgical robot demo played out The demonstration on Saturday called for the remote surgeon to control the robots’ hands to provide tension to the simulated tissue — made of rubber bands — and use the other hand to dissect the elastic tissue with scissors, Farritor said. Taylor Nicioli, CNN, 13 Feb. 2024 An Oregon man has been arrested after allegedly yelling racial slurs at three people and biting and stabbing one of them with a pair of scissors, according to reports. Samira Asma-Sadeque, Peoplemag, 12 Feb. 2024 Gertrude Goss, a patient at Valle del Sol, cut the ribbon with a pair of oversized scissors made for the momentous occasion. The Arizona Republic, 19 Jan. 2024 Available in seven sizes, they can be trimmed with scissors to fit your shoes, as well as hand-washed in warm water. Rachel Chang, Condé Nast Traveler, 14 Feb. 2024 Every gardener needs a pair of sharp garden scissors. Dennis Patton, Kansas City Star, 1 Feb. 2024
Verb
An entire skit written by Elaine May — ironically, a sendup of overly prudish movie censors — was scissored by the network. Fred A. Bernstein, Washington Post, 27 Dec. 2023 While one of his younger brothers David (Harris Dickinson) sleeps in, Kevin sprints across the family’s acreage in a cropped tee and shorts, his mammoth, scissoring arms as propulsive as his pumping thighs. Lauren Michele Jackson, The New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2023 At the Locanda Ferrari restaurant, where diners slurped up plates of spaghetti alle vongole and compared notes on their favorite places for eel, Paola Ferrari, 61, scissored the crabs and dumped them in a pan of tomatoes, onions and herbs. Jason Horowitz, New York Times, 24 Sep. 2023 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

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 19 Mar. 2024.

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
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!