scythe
scythe Lexical Profile
scythe Game Scores & Validity
• noun
An agricultural hand tool consisting of a long, curved blade attached at an angle to a long handle, used historically for mowing grass or reaping crops.
"The farmer swung the scythe with a rhythmic motion, effortlessly leveling the tall grass in the meadow before the invention of mechanized mowers."
• verb
To sweep or cut through rapidly and forcefully, often destroying what is in the path.
"The freezing wind scythed through the narrow valley, stripping the trees of their remaining leaves."
To cut or mow down with a scythe, typically grass or grain.
"Every summer, they had to scythe the overgrown weeds around the abandoned property by hand."
Word Nuance & Usage
The spelling acquired an unetymological 'c' in the 15th century due to a false association with the Latin 'scindere' (to cut). Culturally, the tool is heavily associated with the Grim Reaper as an allegory for mortality.
• Rhymes for scythe
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'sīthe' or 'sīgði' (sickle), descending from Proto-Germanic 'segithō' (to cut), which shares an ancient root with the Latin 'secare' (to cut).
Usage Trend
Historical frequency of usage in published text.