scythe

American  

[sahyth] / saɪð /

noun

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

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verb (used with object)

scythed, scything

1. to cut or mow with a scythe.

scythe British  

/ saɪð /

noun

1. 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

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verb

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

Other Word Forms

• scytheless
  adjective
• scythelike
  adjective

Etymology

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

Explanation

A scythe is a sharp, curved blade used for mowing or reaping. While farmers use it to cut plants, the grim reaper uses it to, well, scare you to death. In Old English, scythe was spelled siðe. Since there is no longer an ð in modern English, scythe became the accepted form of the word in the early 15th century. It drew its sc- start from the Latin scissor, meaning “carver, cutter.” Farmers use these tools to slice and trim grass and other plant stalks. Napoleon Bonaparte once noted that “Occupation is the scythe of time,” meaning that work mows down or diminishes time.

Example Sentences

Now, no matter how fast we run, the grim reaper’s scythe is still inches from our heels.

From Salon • Feb. 5, 2025

Kyogo Furuhashi doesn't need to don the cloak and scythe of the grim reaper when he fetches up at Ibrox on Sunday.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2024

This year, the garden staff wielded a scythe, too.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 25, 2023

Since taking over Twitter, Elon Musk has taken a scythe to the social network’s employee roll, in an increasingly severe campaign to slash costs.

From New York Times • Feb. 27, 2023

To this day the edict remains, but rarely needs to be invoked, because few are foolish enough to impersonate a scythe.

From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman

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