What does scissure mean?
A scissure is a cut, incision, or narrow division in a substance, especially living tissue. In medicine, the term can describe an incision made during an examination or operation. More generally, a scissure is the act or result of dividing something into separate parts, and it is sometimes used figuratively for political, institutional, or artistic divisions. The word has an austere, technical tone and is considerably less common than ordinary alternatives such as cut, incision, split, or fissure. It is most useful in formal writing where the idea of a precise incision or separation needs emphasis. Although scissure is rarely encountered in everyday speech, it belongs to the same Latin-root family as scissors, reflecting the ancient sense of cutting or splitting.
nounA cut, incision, or narrow split, especially in tissue or another material. More generally, it can refer to an act of dividing something into parts.
- A narrow cut, incision, or split, especially in tissue or another material.
- The act or result of dividing something into separate parts.
"The surgeon made a careful scissure before removing the damaged tissue."
"The pathologist examined the scissure running through the damaged tissue."
"The scissure of the organization left two rival factions with independent authority."
The plural is used when referring to multiple cuts, incisions, or divisions.
"Several shallow scissures were visible across the surface."
A scissure sounds like a sharp surgical cut but can also describe any act of splitting a whole into separate parts.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of scissure
Scissure comes through French from the Latin noun scissura, meaning a cut or division. That word was derived from scissus, the past participle of scindere, “to split” or “to tear,” which is also the source of scissors. The form is uncommon in modern English but continues to be used in specialist and formal contexts.
How scissure is actually used
This is a formal and relatively uncommon word. Its first sense is used chiefly in medical and anatomical contexts, while its broader sense appears in academic, legal, and political writing.