scissors
A tool with two blades that you use to cut things.
A cutting tool with two blades joined in the middle, opened and closed by handles to cut materials such as paper, cloth, or hair. In English it is normally used as a plural noun (scissors) and often as a pair of scissors.
In rock-paper-scissors, the hand sign that looks like two fingers (scissors).
In rock-paper-scissors, the hand shape made by extending the index and middle fingers to represent scissors, which beats paper and loses to rock.
- Base: scissors
- Plural: scissors
don’t run with scissors
1warning not to run holding scissors
Don’t run while you are holding scissors.
- Slow down—don’t run with scissors!
- The teacher kept repeating, ‘Don’t run with scissors,’ during arts and crafts.
- He joked, ‘I’m being careful—don’t run with scissors,’ as he walked across the room.
- Don’t run with scissors.
- Don’t run in the classroom with scissors.
rock, paper, scissors
1simple hand game for decisions
A quick hand game to choose a winner or decide something.
- We played rock, paper, scissors to see who would pay for coffee.
- Let’s settle it with rock, paper, scissors.
- They taught the kids rock, paper, scissors on the first day of camp.
- We played rock, paper, scissors.
- Let’s use rock, paper, scissors.
scissors kick
1jumping kick with legs crossing
A jumping kick where your legs cross like scissors.
- He scored with a spectacular scissors kick from the edge of the box.
- She tried a scissors kick, but she didn’t connect cleanly with the ball.
- The highlight clip showed three different goals, including a scissors kick.
- He did a scissors kick.
- The player scored with a scissors kick.
scissors-and-paste
1made by copying from other sources
Made by copying parts from different places and putting them together.
- The article felt like scissors-and-paste journalism with no new reporting.
- His report was basically a scissors-and-paste job from online sources.
- Editors criticized the piece as scissors-and-paste rather than original analysis.
take scissors to [something]
1cut something with scissors
To cut something using scissors.
- She finally took scissors to the old jeans and turned them into shorts.
- He took scissors to the wrapping paper and opened the package in seconds.
- The stylist took scissors to the fringe and softened the shape.
- She took scissors to the paper.
- He took scissors to his old T-shirt.