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Glite Dictionary
scissure

scissure

9.9
A long narrow crack in rock or a part of the body
  • noun
  • /ˈsɪʃər/
  • Specialized
translation icon : cisura
  • A deep scissure ran through the cliff, revealing layers of ancient sediment.

Examples

  • The doctor pointed out the scissure in the patient's brain during the surgery.

  • Geologists studied the scissure in the rock formation to understand the area's tectonic history.

  • This work exposed the utopian effort "to overcome or conceal at any price the classic scissures which characterize human beings" (UM, 160).

    Academic text (2001)

Synonyms

crack
vsscissure
267 1.0

A long narrow opening in a surface

is the neutral technical name for long narrow natural openings
crevice
vsscissure
30 4.2

A narrow opening in rock or a wall where things can hide

is broader, applying to long narrow openings in geology or anatomy
rift
vsscissure
25 4.8

A narrow crack or gap in solid things like rock and clouds

is more neutral and used for any long narrow opening in geology
fissure
vsscissure
22 7.0

A long narrow crack in rock or the ground

is the technical term used in both anatomy and geology
crevasse
vsscissure
9 8.6

A deep open crack in a glacier or in the ground

is a general long narrow opening rather than an especially deep one
cleft
vsscissure
8 6.1

A narrow crack in rock or ground where water can pass

is the longer, more formal term used for such long narrow splits
sulcus
vsscissure
  • Specialized
1 9.9

A narrow groove on the surface of a body part, often seen on the brain

is a general long narrow opening used in both anatomy and geology
rimula
vsscissure
  • Specialized
9.9

A small crack or narrow groove in a surface

is the same idea but refers to longer or larger openings

How Wide

chasm
33 6.9
scissure
  • Specialized
9.9
gash
30 3.9

Surface Forms

scissure singular
scissures plural

Morphology

scissure = sciss + ure

The root 'sciss' is not a recognizable standalone English word, so learners cannot reliably derive the meaning of 'scissure' from its parts.

Etymology

Scissure comes from the Latin word scissura, which means 'a split', and from scindere meaning 'to cut', and it shares the same root as scissors. So a scissure is easy to remember as a 'cut' or narrow split in rock or in the body.