saw¹ Definition
saw (sô)
noun
- a cutting tool, of various shapes and sizes and worked by hand or machinery, consisting essentially of a thin blade or disk of metal, usually steel, the edge of which is a series of sharp teeth
- any of various tools or devices somewhat like this but with a sharp edge instead of teeth
- a machine for operating a saw or saws
Etymology: ME sawe < OE sagu, akin to Ger säge, Du zaag < IE base *sek-, to cut, > L secare, to cut, OE seax, knife
transitive verb sawed, sawed or Chiefly Brit.sawn, saw′·ing
- to cut or divide with a saw
- to shape or form with a saw
- to make sawlike cutting motions through (the air, etc.)
- to operate or produce with a to-and-fro motion suggestive of that used in working a saw to saw a knife through meat, to saw a tune on a fiddle
intransitive verb
- to cut with or as with a saw or as a saw does
- to be cut with a saw wood that saws easily
- to make sawlike cutting motions
saw¹ Related Forms
saw¹ Idioms
saw wood
☆Slang to snore or sleep
saw² Definition
saw (sô)
saw³ Definition
saw (sô)
transitive verb, intransitive verb
saw Synonyms
saw
n.
Types of saws include: annular, circular, concave, crown, mill, ice, crosscut, band, rip, hand, panel, pruning, whip, wood, buck, keyhole, back, butcher's, hack, double, jig, table, chain, power, trephine;
saw Usage Examples
Object
- softwood: The Giannis D set sail from Croatia with a cargo of sawn softwood destined for Jeddah.
- timber: To start with you need to use treated sawn timber from a builders merchant.
- plank: He chops wood and saws the planks and he is a handsome man but he is dead.
- wood: An oaky wine will usually taste and smell of freshly sawn wood, or may have sweet vanilla flavors.
Converse of object
- prune: Click here for more details on the Gerber folding pruning saw or just add to cart to buy online now.
- sharpen: Saw set, to set teeth when sharpening saws.
Adjective modifier
- circular: There is also a small circular saw which is in the blood.
- crosscut: Prior to the use of chainsaws, volunteers had to use two handled crosscut saws.
- piercing: The kit had tanks 3mm too long, which were rectified with the piercing saw.
- wise: But in the case of the looming American war against Iraq, another wise saw needs to be borne in mind.
- electric: She was armed with only an electric chain saw, which was not plugged in.
Modifies a noun
- palmetto: What about the saw palmetto products sold in Europe?
- blade: Ideally you should have an eye either side of the saw blade.
- mill: Sam started to work at ten years old; at fourteen he was working in a saw mill twelve hours a day.
- bench: On the right is James V Dunlop, aged about 15, his hand resting on a circular saw bench.
- dust: It is manufactured from saw dust, wood chips, shaving or bark.
Modifying Another Word
asunder: The coffins were broke open with pickaxes or sawn asunder, and the bones were scattered.
Noun used with modifier
- bow: Larger saws: For example coping saws and bow saws should not be used in class.
- chain: She was armed with only an electric chain saw, which was not plugged in.
Preposition: off
shotgun: The robberies were carried out in a clinical, ruthless fashion, using revolvers and sawn off shotguns.
Browse dictionary entries near saw
- ‹ savvy
- ‹ Savoyard
- ‹ savoy
- ‹ savory
- ‹ savor
- ‹ Savonarola
- ‹ savoir-vivre
- ‹ savoir-faire
- ‹ Savoie
- ‹ savior
- saw grass ›
- saw log ›
- saw palmetto ›
- saw set ›
- saw-toothed ›
- saw-whet owl ›
- Sawatch Mountains ›
- sawbones ›
- sawbuck ›
- sawdust ›

