Shears
/ʃɪərz/noun
A tool with two blades used for cutting cloth, hair, or other materials.
Did you know?The word comes from Old English *scēar* / *scēara* “a cutting instrument,” from the same Germanic root as *shear* and ultimately tied to the idea of cutting apart, not to any magical or occult term.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Germanic
PGmc
*skēraną
“to cut, shear, or divide”
Old English
OE
scēar / scēara
“a cutting tool; shears”
Middle English
ME
shere(s)
“shears; scissors-like cutting implement”
Modern English
EN
shears
“a large pair of scissors or cutting blades”