An averruncator is a form of long shears used in
arboriculture for averruncating or
pruning off the higher
branches of
trees, etc.
Etymology
The word averruncate (from
Latin ''averruncare'', "to ward off, remove mischief") glided into meaning to weed the ground, prune
vines, etc., by a supposed derivation from the Lat. ''ab'', "off", and ''eruncare'', "to weed out", and it was spelt aberuncate to suit this; but the ''
New English Dictionary'' regarded such a derivation as impossible.
Description
An averruncator has a compound
blade attached to a
handle between five and eight feet long. The blades are closed with a
rope and
pulley
A pulley is a wheel on an axle or shaft that is designed to support movement and change of direction of a taut cable or belt, or transfer of power between the shaft and cable or belt. In the case of a pulley supported by a frame or shell that ...
, and they are opened with a
spring. There are at least three varieties of this tool, depending on how force is transmitted to the blades or the blade shape: shear-action, pully-action and parrot-bill.
Notes
References
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{{Garden tools
Cutting tools
Gardening tools