scissor vs shear

scissor

noun
  • Scissors. 

  • One blade on a pair of scissors. 

  • Used in certain noun phrases to denote a thing resembling the action of scissors, as scissor kick, scissor hold (wrestling), scissor jack. 

verb
  • To cut using, or as if using, scissors. 

  • To engage in scissoring (tribadism), a sexual act in which two women intertwine their legs and rub their vulvas against each other. 

  • To skate with one foot significantly in front of the other. 

  • To move something like a pair of scissors, especially the legs. 

  • To excise or expunge something from a text. 

shear

noun
  • A cutting tool similar to scissors, but often larger. 

  • A large machine use for cutting sheet metal. 

  • The act of shearing, or something removed by shearing. 

  • Wind shear, or an instance thereof. 

  • A transformation that displaces every point in a direction parallel to some given line by a distance proportional to the point’s distance from the line. 

  • The response of a rock to deformation usually by compressive stress, resulting in particular textures. 

  • Forces that push in opposite directions. 

verb
  • To deform because of forces pushing in opposite directions. 

  • To make a vertical cut in coal. 

  • To cut, originally with a sword or other bladed weapon, now usually with shears, or as if using shears. 

  • To transform by displacing every point in a direction parallel to some given line by a distance proportional to the point’s distance from the line. 

  • To remove the fleece from a sheep etc. by clipping. 

  • To cut the hair of (a person). 

  • To deprive of property; to fleece. 

  • To reap, as grain. 

  • To change in direction or speed. 

How often have the words scissor and shear occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )