saw

¹

[saw]

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.

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.

saw

²

[saw]

verb

1. simple past tense of see.

saw

³

[saw]

noun

1. a sententious saying; maxim; proverb.

   He could muster an old saw for every occasion.

saw

¹

/ 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

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

abbreviation

1. surface acoustic wave

saw

³

/ sɔː /

verb

1. the past tense of see 1

saw

⁴

/ sɔː /

noun

1. a wise saying, maxim, or proverb

Other Word Forms

• sawer noun
• sawlike adjective

Word History and Origins

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 saw²

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

Word History and Origins

Origin of saw¹

Old English sagu; related to Old Norse sog, Old High German saga, Latin secāre to cut, secūris axe

Origin of saw²

Old English sagu a saying; related to _saga

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. saw wood, to snore loudly while sleeping.

see old saw.

Example Sentences

Matt Kingston took his headphones out as he saw a group of people heading his way in coach H and also began running down the train.

Read more on BBC

Residents of the village said they saw police cars and ambulances on the street late Sunday evening, with the "quiet community" finding it difficult to come to terms with the "horrendous" events of Sunday night.

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"It's not that researchers missed these enzymes, it's that they saw them and overlooked them as mere markers of virus genes," Wood said.

Read more on Science Daily

"Because the Chinese power grid is so reliant on coal for power, emissions throughout the entire tissue supply chain are higher than what we saw with the wood-based option."

Read more on Science Daily

He said he first saw people running down the train shouting that there was a man with a knife.

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Related Words

• saying