Shears are a cutting tool with two long blades that work like an oversized pair of scissors. While regular scissors fit in your hand and cut paper or ribbon, shears are larger and stronger, designed for tougher jobs. Garden shears cut through thick branches and hedges. Kitchen shears can cut through chicken bones or tough vegetables. A sheep shearer uses specialized shears to remove a sheep's thick wool coat, a job that requires skill and strength.

Professional sheep shearers can remove an entire fleece in just a few minutes, leaving the sheep cooler for summer and providing wool for clothing and blankets.

You might also hear about wind shear, which describes a sudden change in wind direction or speed that can affect airplanes during takeoff and landing. This different meaning comes from the idea of forces cutting or slicing across each other in the air.