fret saw

noun

1. a long, narrow-bladed saw used to cut ornamental work from thin wood. Compare coping saw.

fret saw

noun

1. a fine-toothed saw with a long thin narrow blade, used for cutting designs in thin wood or metal

Word History and Origins

Origin of fret saw¹

First recorded in 1860–65

Example Sentences

Outside a dry-fly rasped the brooding silence up and down with its fret-saw refrain.

From Project Gutenberg

If you have a fret saw, and can use it cleverly, you can make at home as good a puzzle as any that can be bought.

From Project Gutenberg

The wheels should be cut with a fret saw, if you possess one.

From Project Gutenberg

The cutting of the hub is not a very difficult matter if you have a fret saw.

From Project Gutenberg

A hand fret-saw, for a collection of minerals and Indian curiosities.

From Project Gutenberg