sieve and shears

noun plural but singular in construction

: divination (as for guilt or a marriage partner) by observation of the motion of a sieve suspended from the points of an open pair of shears : coscinomancy

called also riddle and shears

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Cite this Entry

“Sieve and shears.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sieve%20and%20shears. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

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