musical saw

American  

noun

1. a handsaw played as a musical instrument with a violin bow or a hammer while the saw is bent with varying tension to change the pitch.

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Etymology

Origin of musical saw

First recorded in 1925–30

Example Sentences

Could Mr. Smiley’s musical saw be a genuine Wonder of Sassafras Springs?

From Literature

I hadn’t figured out how an applehead doll measured up to a pyramid or how a musical saw stacked up to the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.

From Literature

Through colored cellophane panels on the church windows, I could see Calvin Smiley holding a bow over his musical saw.

From Literature

With Leftie and Lonnie en route to the cabin, the score pulses with what sounds like a ticking time bomb, plus something like an eerie musical saw for some extra shivers.

From Los Angeles Times

Sunday routine: A musical saw player is a bell ringer for her church.

From New York Times