Secateurs are a gardening tool that look like a pair of strong, heavy scissors. Secateurs are used for cutting the stems of plants.
[British]regional note: in AM, use pruning shears
secateurs in British English
(ˈsɛkətəz, ˌsɛkəˈtɜːz)
plural noun
mainly British
a small pair of shears for pruning, having a pair of pivoted handles, sprung so that they are normally open, and usually a single cutting blade that closes against a flat surface
Also called: secateur
Word origin
C19: plural of French sécateur, from Latin secāre to cut
secateurs in American English
(ˈsɛkətərz)
plural noun
Chiefly British
shears used for pruning
Word origin
< Fr secateur < L secare, to cut (see saw1) + Fr -ateur < L -ator, -ator
Examples of 'secateurs' in a sentence
secateurs
Gladys waved the secateurs in a threatening arc towards the upstairs window.
Christina Jones TICKLED PINK (2002)
Aunt Amelia-Mother-" She put the secateurs down and turned to face me.