clip, snip, cut
剪 centers on cutting with a tool: clipping, snipping, or trimming something away.
剪 combines 前 (before, front) and 刀 (knife), suggesting cutting or trimming with a blade. The 前 component likely contributes a phonetic element as well.
A knife (刀) placed in front (前) of something is ready to clip, snip, or cut it.
For セン, imagine a pair of scissors snipping a sen (cent) coin in half: sen -> セン, and the knife cuts cleanly.
pruning; trimming
to cut; to prune; to trim (branches, leaves, flowers, etc.)
scissors (esp. surgical scissors)
pruner
pruning shears
shear processing
shear stability
pruning (trees, shrubs, etc.)
wool shearing
cutting; trimming; shearing; pruning
shearing machine
cutting off; cut(ting) out
peel strength (e.g. conductor from substrate)
to prune a tree