secateur

A gardener uses a secateur to trim a rose bush.

Definition

1. Noun (usually plural: ):
   • A type of pruning shears or clippers used for cutting stems, branches, or flowers in gardening. It typically has two blades that cross each other, operated by hand.

Usage Examples

• (A gardening tool for cutting stems.)
• (The cutting implement was prepared for use.)

Advanced Usage

• "to use secateurs on something": to cut or prune something with this tool.

  • He used secateurs on the overgrown vines to tidy the garden. (He pruned the vines with the clippers.)

• "a pair of secateurs": the standard way to refer to the tool, as it has two blades.

  • Please hand me a pair of secateurs from the shed. (The tool is normally called in the plural form.)

Variants and Related Words

• Secateurs (n, plural): the standard form of the word.
  • The secateurs are in the drawer. (The tool is kept there.)

Synonyms

• Pruners: a general term for cutting tools used in pruning plants.
• Clippers: a broader term for hand-held cutting tools, often used for gardening.
• Shears: larger cutting tools for gardening, though secateurs are usually smaller.

Related Idioms