jigsaw
Americannoun
verb (used with object)
adjective
noun
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a mechanical saw with a fine steel blade for cutting intricate curves in sheets of material
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See jigsaw puzzle
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
Etymology
Origin of jigsaw
Explanation
A jigsaw is a sharp power tool that's used for cutting curvy lines in wood or other materials. While most saws can only cut in a straight line, a jigsaw makes it easier to cut complicated patterns and shapes. If you were making a jigsaw puzzle out of wood, you'd use a jigsaw. In fact, this is where the "jigsaw puzzle," (which is also simply called a jigsaw), got its name. The original meaning comes from the word jig and its sense of "up and down motion," which describes the way a jigsaw moves as it cuts.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
As he starts a new composition book for another Jigsaw tale, his own storied life keeps adding pages.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2024
Vanessa Dooley now runs consultancy firm Jigsaw Early Years Consultancy, giving advice to nurseries and preschools.
From BBC • May 4, 2023
Google’s Jigsaw team is a division within Google that studies threats to open societies, and it lists examples of threats on its website including disinformation, violent white supremacy, toxic language and state-imposed internet shutdowns.
From Washington Times • Jan. 5, 2023
Jigsaw puzzlers found their happy place, and their people, during the pandemic.
From Seattle Times • Nov. 15, 2022
The company has also worked with Google Jigsaw and other tech giants to launch "The Redirect Method", which returns alternative, de-escalating search results when people look for harmful content online.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2022
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
