But the third and final variant, which occurred around 2900 B.C.E., cut down these early farmers like a scythe: In one family, nearly two whole generations in the tomb died with active Y. pestis infections.—Andrew Curry, science.org, 10 July 2024 There are lingering shots, often in slow motion, of warriors like Hounsou's General Titus working the scythe in real northern California wheat fields.—Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Apr. 2024
Verb
It’s farmed using traditional methods — scythed by hand and visited each autumn by Shropshire sheep.—Sarah Lyall, New York Times, 20 Apr. 2023 One fun way to encourage kids to get out into the heart of a meadow area and witness its wildlife and plants up close is to mow or scythe a maze into it that kids can run or walk through.—Elizabeth Waddington, Treehugger, 27 Mar. 2023 See all Example Sentences for scythe
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'scythe.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Etymology
Noun
Middle English sithe, from Old English sīthe; akin to Old English sagu saw — more at saw
First Known Use
Noun
before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above
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