What does rock paper scissors mean?
Definitions for rock paper scissors
rock pa·per scis·sors
This dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word rock paper scissors.
Wiktionary
Rock Paper Scissorsnoun
A popular child's game played by using hand signs; frequently used to break ties. Two players face each other with one hand out flat, palm facing up; other hand in a fist strikes the palm three times (often calling out ro! sham! bo! to keep the two players moving in sync), and on the third strike producing one of three hand symbols: Remaining a fist for "rock", a 'peace' sign for "scissors", the hand out flat with palm facing down for "paper". The winner is decided as follows: Rock beats scissors; scissors beat paper; paper beats rock. In the case of a tie (two of the same sign), the process is repeated.
Etymology: A calque of the handshapes in Japanese janken.
Wikipedia
Rock paper scissors
Rock paper scissors (also known by other orderings of the three items, with "rock" sometimes being called "stone," or as Rochambeau, roshambo, or ro-sham-bo) is a hand game originating in China, usually played between two people, in which each player simultaneously forms one of three shapes with an outstretched hand. These shapes are "rock" (a closed fist), "paper" (a flat hand), and "scissors" (a fist with the index finger and middle finger extended, forming a V). A simultaneous, zero-sum game, it has three possible outcomes: a draw, a win or a loss. A player who decides to play rock will beat another player who has chosen scissors ("rock crushes scissors" or "breaks scissors" or sometimes "blunts scissors"), but will lose to one who has played paper ("paper covers rock"); a play of paper will lose to a play of scissors ("scissors cuts paper"). If both players choose the same shape, the game is tied and is usually immediately replayed to break the tie. The game spread from China while developing different variants in signs over time. Rock paper scissors is often used as a fair choosing method between two people, similar to coin flipping, drawing straws, or throwing dice in order to settle a dispute or make an unbiased group decision. Unlike truly random selection methods, however, rock paper scissors can be played with a degree of skill by recognizing and exploiting non-random behavior in opponents.
Numerology
Chaldean Numerology
The numerical value of rock paper scissors in Chaldean Numerology is: 9
Pythagorean Numerology
The numerical value of rock paper scissors in Pythagorean Numerology is: 8
Translations for rock paper scissors
From our Multilingual Translation Dictionary
- قرعةArabic
- Schere, Stein, PapierGerman
- The translation of "rock paper scissors" to Greek is "πέτρα, ψαλίδι, χαρτί" (pronounced: pétra, psalídi, chartí).Greek
- rokpapera tondiloEsperanto
- piedra Papel tijerasSpanish
- سنگ کاغذ قیچیPersian
- kivi paperi saksetFinnish
- Pierre Feuille CiseauxFrench
- siosúr páipéar carraigIrish
- रॉक कागज कैंचीHindi
- batu gunting kertasIndonesian
- Sasso carta forbiciItalian
- אבן נייר ומספרייםHebrew
- 最初はグー、じゃんけんJapanese
- ರಾಕ್ ಪೇಪರ್ ಕತ್ತರಿKannada
- 가위 바위 보Korean
- steen Papier SchaarDutch
- Stein saks papirNorwegian
- nożyczki do papieru skalnegoPolish
- pedra Papel TesouraPortuguese
- foarfece de hârtie de piatrăRomanian
- камень но� ницы БумагаRussian
- Sten sax påseSwedish
- ராக் பேப்பர் கத்தரிக்கோல்Tamil
- రాక్ పేపర్ కత్తెరTelugu
- กรรไกรกระดาษหินThai
- Taş kağıt makasTurkish
- پتھر کاغذ قینچیUrdu
- Oẳn tù tìVietnamese
- 剪刀石头布Chinese
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"rock paper scissors." Definitions.net. STANDS4 LLC, 2025. Web. 17 Mar. 2025. <https://www.definitions.net/definition/rock+paper+scissors>.
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