scythe

[sahyth]

See more synonyms for scythe on Thesaurus.com

noun

an agricultural implement consisting of a long, curving blade fastened at an angle to a handle, for cutting grass, grain, etc., by hand.

verb (used with object), scythed, scyth·ing.

to cut or mow with a scythe.

Origin of scythe

before 900; Middle English sith, Old English sīthe, earlier sigdi; cognate with Old Norse sigthr; spelling sc by pseudoetymological association with Latin scindere to cut or with scissors

Related formsscythe·less, adjectivescythe·like, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for scythe

Contemporary Examples

He lived in a big suburban mansion in Weybridge and he was sharp as a scythe.
What It Was Like to Watch the Beatles Become the Beatles—Nik Cohn Remembers
Nik Cohn
February 9, 2014
Scott lay dead in his garage, stabbed repeatedly by his own scythe.
Murder at the Family Farm
Winston Ross
September 2, 2010

Historical Examples

Only one thing could surpass him: the scythe of death which blindly mows the world.
The Three Cities Trilogy, Complete
Emile Zola
There is another ahead of him there, with the head of a scythe inside his smock.
Micah Clarke
Arthur Conan Doyle
The American pioneers had only a sickle or a scythe with which to cut their grain.
The Age of Invention
Holland Thompson
Close by them a man was preparing to scythe out one of the dell-holes.
Howards End
E. M. Forster
If the ould Governor's got a tongue like a file, Philip's got a tongue like a scythe—he'll mow them down.
The Manxman
Hall Caine

British Dictionary definitions for scythe

scythe

noun

a manual implement for cutting grass, etc, having a long handle held with both hands and a curved sharpened blade that moves in a plane parallel to the ground

verb

(tr) to cut (grass, etc) with a scythe

Derived Formsscythelike, adjective

Word Origin

Old English sigthe; related to Old Norse sigthr, Old High German segansa

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for scythe

n.

Old English siðe, sigði, from Proto-Germanic *segithoz (cf. Middle Low German segede, Middle Dutch sichte, Old High German segensa, German Sense), from PIE root *sek- "to cut" (see section (n.)). The sc- spelling crept in early 15c., from influence of Latin scissor "carver, cutter" and scindere "to cut." Cf. French scier "saw," a false spelling from sier.

v.

1570s, "use a scythe;" 1590s "to mow;" from scythe (n.). From 1897 as "move with the sweeping motion of a scythe." Related: Scythed; scything.

scythe

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}scythe

Examples from the Web for scythe

Contemporary Examples

He lived in a big suburban mansion in Weybridge and he was sharp as a scythe.

Scott lay dead in his garage, stabbed repeatedly by his own scythe.

Historical Examples

Only one thing could surpass him: the scythe of death which blindly mows the world.

There is another ahead of him there, with the head of a scythe inside his smock.

The American pioneers had only a sickle or a scythe with which to cut their grain.

Close by them a man was preparing to scythe out one of the dell-holes.

If the ould Governor's got a tongue like a file, Philip's got a tongue like a scythe—he'll mow them down.

scythe

Word Origin

Word Origin and History for scythe

n.

v.

Origin of scythe