Meaning & use
pinking shears
Last updated
Meaning
nounplural
special scissors with a zigzag blade that cut cloth in a jagged edge to stop it from fraying.
Grammar: Takes a plural verb: 'The pinking shears are sharp.' To talk about one tool, say 'a pair of pinking shears'.
Patterns
- a pair of pinking shears
- use pinking shears on something
She used pinking shears to cut the fabric so it wouldn't unravel.
Pinking shears are essential for finishing seams on woven cloth.
He bought a pair of pinking shears for his sewing kit.
Common combinations
- a pair of pinking shears
- I keep a pair of pinking shears in my sewing basket.
- cut with pinking shears
- Cut the edges with pinking shears to prevent fraying.
- sharp pinking shears
- You need sharp pinking shears for a clean zigzag edge.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pinking scissors
- This is a less common but understandable alternative; 'pinking shears' is the standard term in sewing.
Word family
- pink verb
- To cut a zigzag edge in cloth, often using pinking shears.
Commonly confused: pinking shears or shears?
pinking shears vs shears
Shears are large scissors for cutting hedges or metal; pinking shears are a specific type for cloth with a zigzag edge.
Practice
To stop the fabric from fraying, she cut the edges with ___.
Choose one answer.
Pinking shears is a plural noun, so it takes no article. 'A pinking shear' is wrong because the tool is always plural; 'pinking shearses' is not a word.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “pinking shears”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.