defective: doesn’t function normally; imperfect
agreement: when the subject corresponds with the correct version of the verb
panties: female underwear
boxers: male underwear that is shaped like shorts
wordsmith: a person who is interested in and skilled with words
The Word “Scissors” is a Defective Noun
In English, there are a few nouns that only have a plural form. The word “scissors” is one example. There is no singular form of this word and it requires plural agreement. For example: The scissors are on the table. To make this tool singular, you have to use “a pair of scissors”. Other words that don’t have a singular form are “pants”, “shorts”, “glasses (eyeglasses)”, “goggles”, “panties” and “boxers”. The Latin word for this concept is “plurale tantum”, which means plural only. Some wordsmiths prefer the term “defective nouns”.
