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• saw pit
  saw pit

  noun

  a place for pit sawing.
• saw-pit
  saw-pit

  noun

  (esp formerly) a pit above which a log is sawn into planks with a large pitsaw

saw pit

American  

Or sawpit

noun

1. a place for pit sawing.

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saw-pit British  

noun

1. (esp formerly) a pit above which a log is sawn into planks with a large pitsaw

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Etymology

Origin of saw pit

First recorded in 1375–1425, saw pit is from the late Middle English word sawpytt. See saw ¹, pit ¹

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

saw pit saw-pit

And sometimes — like in Fisk’s selection of a saw pit location — his deductions were proven right by the simultaneous research of archeologist Bill Kelso, who directed the Jamestown Rediscovery Project.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024

“He came back to set and he said, ‘I found evidence of a saw pit in almost the exact same location at Jamestown,” Fisk says.

From Seattle Times ● Feb. 23, 2024

He asked about a saw pit in which he had worked when a young boy.

From McClure's Magazine, Vol. 6, No. 6, May, 1896 by Various

A saw "pit" is a scantling of poles eight feet high, on which the logs are placed to be sawn.

From The Great Gold Rush A Tale of the Klondike by Jarvis, W. H. P. (William Henry Pope)

He visited the ship, and took great interest in all that was going on, particularly with the saw pit.

From The Life of Captain James Cook by Kitson, Arthur

Thrice, on the night-shift, underneath in the saw-pit, Old Tarwater fainted. 

From The Red One by London, Jack

The weather was excessively hot, yet the men worked hard at the saw-pit notwithstanding; but all our activity was in danger of being fruitless, for the river each day fell about four inches!

From Three Expeditions into the Interior of Eastern Australia, Volume 1 by Mitchell, Thomas

As the timbers had to be out in two, a saw-pit was dug, at which Billy was doomed to work as under-sawyer, a task which Desmond assured him he performed to perfection.

From The Three Admirals by Wells, J.R.

Many an hour have I spent at his saw-pit, listening to recitals of his fifty-year-old adventures, some of which were most unedifying.

From Reminiscences of a South African Pioneer by Scully, W. C. (William Charles)

A pile of logs and a rough saw-pit,—yes, yes,—she knew the saw-pit, she had passed the saw-pit that other day, and Val and she had sat upon the logs.

From Leonore Stubbs by Walford, L. B.