saw

¹ American  

[saw] / sɔ /

noun

1. a tool or device for cutting, typically a thin blade of metal with a series of sharp teeth.

2. any similar tool or device, as a rotating disk, in which a sharp continuous edge replaces the teeth.

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verb (used with object)

sawed, sawed, sawn, sawing

1. to cut or divide with a saw.

2. to form by cutting with a saw.

3. to make cutting motions as if using a saw.

   to saw the air with one's hands.

4. to work (something) from side to side like a saw.

verb (used without object)

sawed, sawed, sawn, sawing

1. to use a saw.

2. to cut with or as if with a saw.

3. to cut as a saw does.

idioms

1. saw wood, to snore loudly while sleeping.

saw ² American  

[saw] / sɔ /

verb

1. simple past tense of see.

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saw ³ American  

[saw] / sɔ /

noun

1. a sententious saying; maxim; proverb.

   He could muster an old saw for every occasion.

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saw ¹ British  

/ sɔː /

noun

1. any of various hand tools for cutting wood, metal, etc, having a blade with teeth along one edge

2. any of various machines or devices for cutting by use of a toothed blade, such as a power-driven circular toothed wheel or toothed band of metal

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verb

1. to cut with a saw

2. to form by sawing

3. to cut as if wielding a saw

   to saw the air

4. to move (an object) from side to side as if moving a saw

SAW ² British  

abbreviation

1. surface acoustic wave

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saw ³ British  

/ sɔː /

verb

1. the past tense of see 1

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saw ⁴ British  

/ sɔː /

noun

1. a wise saying, maxim, or proverb

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saw More Idioms  

1. see old saw.

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Other Word Forms

• sawer noun
• sawlike adjective

Etymology

Origin of saw¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English noun sau(e), soue, zaue, Old English saga, sagu; cognate with Dutch zaag, Old Norse sǫg, German Säge, all meaning “saw”; akin to Latin secāre “to cut,” Old English seax “short sword, knife, dagger”; the verb is derivative of the noun; sax ², section

Origin of saw³

First recorded before 950; Middle English sau(e), sauhe, sagh(e) “talk, words, something said,” Old English sagu “a saying, speech, narrative”; cognate with German Sage “legend, fable, myth, tradition,” Old Norse saga “statement, tale, story, history”; saga, say ¹

Example Sentences

An AFP correspondent saw smoke billowing from a bridge that was hit outside the city of Tyre.

From Barron's

Last year, the pilot saw similar success, though there was also a natural drop in activity districtwide.

From Los Angeles Times

A recent Harvard survey of Americans between ages 18 and 29 showed that 59% said they saw AI as a threat to their job prospects, with college graduates in particular sharing such concerns.

From The Wall Street Journal

London's Wood, who has won 11 of 14 fights in the UFC, says he hopes the Benn deal will spark a change because he was "heartbroken" when he saw how much he would be earning.

From BBC

"While I was taking an initial look at the data, I saw that there were four comets in those images when we only proposed to look at one," said Noonan.

From Science Daily

Related Words

• saying