- present tense form of shear (3rd person singular).
shears
Britishplural noun
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large scissors, as for cutting cloth, jointing poultry, etc
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a large scissor-like and usually hand-held cutting tool with flat blades, as for cutting hedges
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any of various analogous cutting or clipping implements or machines
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short for sheerlegs
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informal (of a sheep) newly shorn
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Ash devils occur when heat from a fire causes hot air to rise and mix with the cool air from shifting winds, called wind shears.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 2, 2026
I found the most beautiful, and still-sharp, Japanese sewing shears.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 4, 2025
Appearing with a shaved head, Alcaraz said his brother had a mishap with the shears when giving him a trim, leaving him no choice but to opt for a buzz-cut.
From BBC ● Sep. 8, 2025
That means buying fresh lobsters from your local market, boiling them and using kitchen shears to slice their shells from head to tail.
From Salon ● Sep. 1, 2024
The Thunderhead is the root, and I am the shears, pruning the limbs into fine form, keeping the tree vital.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
