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jigsaw

American  
[jig-saw] / ˈdʒɪgˌsɔ /

noun

  1. Also jig saw an electric machine saw with a narrow blade mounted vertically in a frame, for cutting curves or other difficult lines or patterns.

verb (used with object)

jigsawed, jigsawed, jigsawn, jigsawing

  1. to cut or form with a jigsaw.

adjective

  1. formed by or as if by a jigsaw.

    jigsaw ornamentation.
jigsaw British  
/ ˈdʒɪɡˌsɔː /

noun

  1. a mechanical saw with a fine steel blade for cutting intricate curves in sheets of material

  2. See jigsaw puzzle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jigsaw

First recorded in 1870–75; jig 2 + saw 1

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.

My goal when I get home is a jigsaw puzzle — with either a podcast or jazz on in the background — until probably like 2 in the morning.

From Los Angeles Times

On the large table is a half-finished jigsaw puzzle of kittens in a knitting basket.

From Literature

Like Alcaraz, Poland's Iga Swiatek has six Grand Slam titles to her name, and the Australian Open is the missing piece of the jigsaw.

From BBC

Inside Preston Lodge, patients eat meals together and some of them socialise, too - doing jigsaw puzzles and watching TV together.

From BBC

"Without that money, it wouldn't have been done. It was the last part of the jigsaw," Salisbury said.

From BBC

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.