buzz saw

noun

1. a power-operated circular saw, so named because of the noise it makes.

buzz saw

noun

1. a power-operated circular saw

Word History and Origins

Origin of buzz saw¹

An Americanism dating back to 1855–60

Example Sentences

More so than any of his predecessors, Obama ran open-eyed into the Palestinian-Israeli buzz saw.

From The Daily Beast

Reihan Salam says we're heading into a decade-long economic buzz saw.

From The Daily Beast

He was cruising along just fine until he hit the immigration buzz saw and it instantly shredded him.

From The Daily Beast

The furnace was propelled by water and they had a small buzz saw for cutting four-foot wood into blocks about a foot long.

From Project Gutenberg

The American mind exasperated the European as a buzz-saw might exasperate a pine forest.

From Project Gutenberg

Well, whatever you do, keep away from the big buzz saw, he warned.

From Project Gutenberg

From somewhere overhead came a sound like a snarl of a buzz-saw as it bites into hard wood.

From Project Gutenberg

It soon got its fill and curled up and purred "just like a fairy buzz-saw," Dum declared.

From Project Gutenberg