pruning shears

American  

noun

(usually used with a plural verb)

1. small, sturdy shears used for pruning shrubbery.

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Etymology

Origin of pruning shears

First recorded in 1800–10

Example Sentences

Instead the final four candidates for the job were a range of eager submissives, each straining to appear enthusiastic to pick up the pruning shears and start cutting rates by the bunch:

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 2, 2026

During those searches, two blue crowbars, pruning shears and a cutting tool were found in a nearby pond and in the Paar River, the statement said.

From New York Times • Jul. 21, 2023

“Everything is fraught with uncertainty right now,” she said as she snipped away with a pair of pruning shears.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 29, 2022

Former printmaker turned floral designer Hannah Morgan characterizes herself as having “a BFA in one hand and a pair of pruning shears in the other.”

From Seattle Times • Jun. 18, 2022

It was a normal garden shed with pruning shears, buckets, watering cans, and the accompanying assortment of cobwebs, dead bugs, and dust.

From "Moon Over Manifest" by Clare Vanderpool