skära

Swedish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈɧæːˌra/

• audio (non-standard ⟨sk⟩)

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Etymology 1

From Old Swedish skæra, from Old Norse skera (“to cut”), from Proto-Germanic *skeraną (“to shear”), from Proto-Indo-European *(s)ker- (“to cut”).

Verb

skära (present skär, preterite skar, supine skurit, imperative skär)

1. to cut; to perform an incision
2. to cut; to divide something with a knife, etc.
   • 1915, Dan Andersson, Kolvaktarens Visor, Gengångare:

     Men ve oss, för sent ha vi gått ur vår grav
     för att krämares domare bli -
     de män som skuro vår plågas stav
     äro döda och vandra som vi.

     But woe unto us, too late have we went out of our grave
     to become the judgers of mongers -
     the men who cut the staff of our torment
     are dead, and wander like we.

3. (with ner (“down”)) to cut; to make reductions in a budget or the like
4. (reflexive) to cut oneself; to accidentally or intentionally hurt oneself with a sharp object
5. (reflexive) to curdle, said of milk, a sauce, etc.
6. (geometry) to cut; to intersect; to cross
7. (archaic) to purify, to cleanse one's soul

Usage notes

• Highly proscribed forms skärde and skärt are used colloquially along with the prescribed skar and skurit.
• For cutting with scissors or shears or the like with a snipping motion, klippa is used. Using skära with scissors or shears implies one of the blades is being used like a knife.

Conjugation

Synonyms

• (to perform an incision): snitta

Derived terms

See also

• cutta

Etymology 2

(This etymology is missing or incomplete. Please add to it, or discuss it at the Etymology scriptorium.)

Noun

skära c

1. sickle

Declension

Derived terms

• hammaren och skäran
• månskära

Etymology 3

Adjective

skära

1. inflection of skär:
   1. definite singular
   2. plural

References

• skära in Svensk ordbok (SO)
• skära in Svenska Akademiens ordlista (SAOL)
• skära in Svenska Akademiens ordbok (SAOB)

Anagrams

• räkas, säkra