ENGLISH
REFERENCE

scissors

n.
US //ˈsɪzɝz// UK //sˈɪsəz// scis·sors
  1. 1 exercise or movement (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    an exercise where you move your legs past each other like the blades of scissors.

    a physical exercise or movement, typically performed lying down, involving the rhythmic crossing of the legs to engage the abdominal muscles.

    Example

    The trainer told us to do twenty scissors to strengthen our core muscles.

    Example

    To conclude the abdominal circuit, the athlete performed a series of controlled scissors, ensuring her lower back remained pressed firmly against the mat.
    • leg lifts
    • flutter kicks
  2. 2 aviation maneuver (n.)
    C2 Proficiency Technical Science

    a defensive move in air combat where a pilot turns back and forth to make an attacker fly past them.

    a series of short, sharp turns used in dogfighting to reduce forward speed and force an attacking aircraft to overshoot the defender's position.

    Example

    The pilot used the scissors to get behind the enemy plane.

    Example

    The flight lead successfully executed a rolling scissors, bleeding off enough airspeed to force the interceptor into a vulnerable position ahead of his nose.

    Usage

    Often used in the phrase 'the scissors' or 'rolling scissors'.
  3. 3 rock-paper-scissors (n.)
    B1 Intermediate

    a hand shape in a game that represents the cutting tool.

    a hand gesture in the game of rock-paper-scissors, formed by extending the index and middle fingers in a V-shape.

    Example

    I chose scissors, but my brother won the game by choosing rock.

    Example

    In a surprising final round, both competitors threw scissors simultaneously, resulting in a draw that necessitated a tie-breaking match.

Origin

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”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Last updated June 20, 2026