Averruncator
Fig.1 shows the handle and head of an averruncator. Fig. 2 shows the head in use.
An averruncator is a form of long shears used in arboriculture for averruncating or pruning off the higher branches of trees, etc. 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 regards such a derivation as impossible.
It has a compound blade attached to a handle between five and eight feet long. The blades are closed with a string and pulley, and they are opened with a spring.
References
- This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
- Garden Tools and Antiques
Source: adapted by the editor from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia; from the article "Averruncator". Image Credit.
