scissors kick

American  

noun

Swimming.

1. a propelling motion of the legs in which they move somewhat like the blades of a pair of scissors, used in the sidestroke.

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scissors kick British  

noun

1. a type of swimming kick used esp in the sidestroke, in which one leg is moved forward and the other bent back and they are then brought together again in a scissor-like action

2. football a kick in which the player leaps into the air raising one leg and brings up his other leg to kick the ball

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Etymology

Origin of scissors kick

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The Puskas Award for best goal went to Polish amputee player Marcin Oleksy, who scored an acrobatic scissors kick goal for Warta Poznan last November.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 27, 2023

He also became a master of the overhead, or scissors kick, often scoring when he had his back to goal.

From Washington Post • Jul. 22, 2022

Since the first modern Olympics, high jumpers had employed techniques from a standing jump to a scissors kick to straddle to a roll — all of them feet first.

From Washington Times • Aug. 6, 2020

A game that had been meandering along amid much mediocrity came to life on the stroke of halftime when Can's extraordinary overhead scissors kick from Lucas's chipped through ball rocketed into the top corner.

From Reuters • May 1, 2017

The legs are spread apart and snapped together as in the side stroke, but instead of stopping with this scissors kick make an extra small circle kick.

From Swimming Scientifically Taught A Practical Manual for Young and Old by Dalton, Frank Eugen