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HOW TO PRONOUNCE

scissors

/ˈsɪzɚz/

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American Pronunciation Guide · 0:57
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Start with “s” and keep both “z” sounds voiced.

The double s in the middle sounds like z, as does the final s after the unstressed r-colored vowel.

2 syllables · Stress on syllable 1

TRY SAYING
The scissors are in the drawer.

APG practice sentence · CC BY-SA 4.0

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

What does scissors mean?

noun

  1. A tool used for cutting thin material, consisting of two crossing blades attached at a pivot point in such a way that the blades slide across each other when the handles are closed.
  2. A type of defensive maneuver in dogfighting, involving repeatedly turning one's aircraft towards that of the attacker in order to force them to overshoot.
  3. An instance of the above dogfighting maneuver.
More meanings (9)

noun

  1. An attacking move conducted by two players; the player without the ball runs from one side of the ball carrier, behind the ball carrier, and receives a pass from the ball carrier on the other side.
  2. A method of skating with one foot significantly in front of the other.
  3. An exercise in which the legs are switched back and forth, suggesting the motion of scissors.
  4. A scissors hold.
  5. A hand with the index and middle fingers open (a handshape resembling scissors), that beats paper and loses to rock. It beats lizard and loses to Spock in rock-paper-scissors-lizard-Spock.
  6. (rare) plural of scissor

verb

  1. third-person singular simple present indicative of scissor
  2. (rare) Rare form of scissor (“to cut using, or as if using, scissors”).

interjection

  1. (dated) Cry of anguish or frustration.

Definitions regrouped for readability · CC BY-SA 4.0

IPA pronunciation

/ˈsɪzɚz/

Pronunciation used in the listening tip.

CMU Pronouncing Dictionary

Pronunciation varies by speaker and region. About these dictionary pronunciations.

In the pages of books

See this word in context.

People shook their heads and talked mysteriously of how the tailor's scissors had been used as a deadly weapon in the fight.
Amy SteedmanKnights of Art: Stories of the Italian PaintersProject Gutenberg ebook #529
Thus once, looking from my desk to my smoking table, I saw an enormous pair of tailor’s scissors half-covered by a letter.
Hans GrossCriminal Psychology: A Manual for Judges, Practitioners, and StudentsTranslated by Horace Meyer KallenProject Gutenberg ebook #1320
More book examples (3)
There is not a speck of rust on needles, scissors, knives, or anything else, although they have been exposed to much damp.
Roald AmundsenThe South Pole; an account of the Norwegian Antarctic expedition in the "Fram," 1910-1912 — Volume 1Translated by Arthur G. ChaterProject Gutenberg ebook #3414
The leaf-stalk is clipped with the scissors and, without more ado, the Megachile retires the richer by a first-rate bit of material.
Jean-Henri FabreBramble-Bees and OthersTranslated by Alexander Teixeira de MattosProject Gutenberg ebook #3421
The eye of the poor animal, that had hung pendent through the chase, was then taken off with a pair of scissors.
William YouattThe DogProject Gutenberg ebook #9478