scissors
n. C / Un. a tool with two sharp blades used for cutting paper, cloth, or hair. You hold them with your thumb and fingers to press the blades together.
n. a cutting instrument consisting of two blades joined by a pivot, allowing the sharpened edges to slide against each other. Always used in the plural form or with 'pair of'.
I need a pair of scissors to cut this paper.
The tailor used a heavy pair of metal scissors to cut the thick wool fabric for the coat.
While modern industrial lasers can cut through steel with extreme precision, the humble household scissors remain the most efficient tool for simple domestic tasks like opening packages or trimming loose threads.
From Middle English sisours (attested since 1350–1400), from Old French cisoirs, from Late Latin cīsōria, plural of cīsōrium (“cutting tool”); from Latin word root -cīsus (compare excise) or caesus, past participle of caedō (“to cut”). Partially displaced native Old English sċēara (“scissors, shears”), whence shears. Doublet of chisel. The current spelling, from the 16th century, is due to association with Medieval Latin scissor (“tailor”), from Latin carrying the meaning “carver, cutter”, from scindō (“to split”).
Plural noun — always takes a plural verb ('the scissors are') unless preceded by 'a pair of', which takes a singular verb ('the pair of scissors is').
Where is my scissor?Where are my scissors?The word is a plurale tantum and must be used in the plural form with a plural verb.