pruning shears

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noun (usually used with a plural verb)

small, sturdy shears used for pruning shrubbery.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of pruning shears

First recorded in 1800–10

Words nearby pruning shears

prune, prunella, prunelle, pruning, pruning hook, pruning shears, prunt, prurient, pruriginous, prurigo, pruritus

How to use pruning shears in a sentence

Lawmaking by legislatures is also a one-way ratchet—Legislators get credit for passing laws, not pruning them.
Red Tape Is Strangling Good Samaritans|Philip K. Howard|December 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pruning them, Peterson explains, is a science and a dying art.
The Pleasures of America’s Oldest Vines|Jordan Salcito|February 22, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He enthusiastically showed off his pruning technique for me and lunch with him was required.
Brunello’s King Lear: Gianfranco Soldera Reflects on the Attack on His Wine|Alice Feiring|December 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Meet the latest faces of Saint Laurent menswear: Wyatt and Fletcher Shears.
Meet Saint Laurent's New Muses, Wyatt and Fletcher Shears|Erin Cunningham|August 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Good kitchen shears make light work out of everything from opening packages to taking the back out of a chicken.
The 2012 Holiday Kitchen Gift Guide|Megan McArdle|December 13, 2012|DAILY BEAST
The objects in the engraving are probably the shears, comb, ladle, and an unknown instrument used for cleansing wool.
The Catacombs of Rome|William Henry Withrow
I had a couple of bulletins on pruning in my pocket, with pictures of old trees remorselessly headed down.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
That afternoon I went back to my orchard, got out my shiny and sharp new double-edged pruning saw, and sawed till both arms ached.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
But our old trees, in spite of (or perhaps because of) my spring pruning, were doing fairly well.
The Idyl of Twin Fires|Walter Prichard Eaton
The trees were now beginning to show the good result of pruning and a regular irrigation.
With Edged Tools|Henry Seton Merriman