shears

S1H4E1A1R1S1
UK/ʃɪə(ɹ)z/US/ʃɪɹz/

noun

A tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, used for cutting cloth, or for removing the fleece from sheep etc.

“Near-synonym: scissors”

Similar
scissors
Less commonScrabble 9
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Meanings

shears1

noun
  1. pluralplural of shear
noun
  1. A tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, used for cutting cloth, or for removing the fleece from sheep etc.

    Near-synonym: scissors

    1 more example

    Cut with a shears using long, even strokes.

    1974, Phyllis W. Schwebke, Margaret B. Krohn, How to Sew Leather, Suede, Fur, page 20

    Synonyms: scissors

  2. engineeringThe bedpiece of a machine tool, upon which a table or slide rest is secured.

    the shears of a lathe or planer

  3. An apparatus for raising heavy weights, and especially for stepping and unstepping the lower masts of ships. It consists of two or more spars or pieces of timber, fastened together near the top, steadied by a guy or guys, and furnished with the necessary tackle. Also sheers.
  4. Anything resembling a pair of shears in shape or motion, such as a pair of wings.

    two sharp winged Shears, Decked with divers Plumes, like painted Jays, Were fixed at his Back, to cut his airy ways.

    1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book II, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC
verb
  1. indicativepresentsingularthird personthird-person singular simple present indicative of shear

Shears2

proper noun
  1. pluralplural of Shear

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges, connected by a pivot, used for cutting cloth, or for removing the fleece from sheep etc.

Similar
scissors
Also see
scissorsshear

Translations

Ancient Greek ψαλίς, κουρίς
  • ψαλίς (psalís)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • κουρίς (kourís)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Bulgarian лозарска ножица, ножица за стригане на овце
  • лозарска ножица (lozarska nožica)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • ножица за стригане на овце (nožica za strigane na ovce)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Catalan tisores, cisalla
  • tisorestool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • cisallatool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Chinese Mandarin 剪刀
  • 剪刀 (jiǎndāo)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Finnish sakset, keritsimet
  • saksettool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • keritsimettool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
French cisailles
  • cisaillestool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
German Schere
  • Scheretool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Greek ψαλίδα
  • ψαλίδα (psalída)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Hebrew מַזְמֵרָה
  • מַזְמֵרָה (mazmerá)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Icelandic klippur
  • klippurtool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Irish deimheas
  • deimheastool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Italian cesoie, forbice
  • cesoietool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • forbicetool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • cesoiatool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • forbicitool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Japanese 鋏
  • 鋏 (hasami)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Latin forfex
  • forfextool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Latvian dzirkles
  • dzirklestool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Māori kutikuti
  • kutikutitool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Persian دوکارد
  • دوکارد (dokârd)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Polish nożyce
  • nożycetool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Portuguese tesoura de tosquiar
  • tesoura de tosquiartool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Romanian foarfece
  • foarfecetool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Russian но́жницы
  • но́жницы (nóžnicy)tool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Spanish cizalla, cizallas
  • cizallatool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
  • cizallastool consisting of two blades with bevel edges
Swedish sax
  • saxtool consisting of two blades with bevel edges

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with shears

yearstearscheersfearspeersarrearspiersAlgierssheersdeersangel's tearsbaby's tearsmusic to someone's ears
All rhymes →

Sounds the same

sheerssheerssheers

Anagrams

haress
Cite this entry
APA

shears. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shears

MLA

“shears.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shears. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “shears,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/shears.

Source: shears on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.