sawbuck

[ saw-buhk ]

/ ˈsɔˌbʌk /

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noun

a sawhorse.

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Origin of sawbuck

1860–65, Americanism; compare Dutch zaagbok

Words nearby sawbuck

savvy, saw, Sawatch, sawbill, sawbones, sawbuck, sawbuck table, sawder, saw doctor, sawdust, sawdust trail

Other definitions for sawbuck (2 of 2)

sawbuck²

[ saw-buhk ]

/ ˈsɔˌbʌk /

noun Slang.

a ten-dollar bill.

Origin of sawbuck

1840–50, Americanism; so called from the resemblance of the Roman numeral X to the crossbars of a sawbuck¹

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use sawbuck in a sentence

But with this sawbuck one cannot use as heavy logs as with the first one because of the difficulty in handling them.
The Book of Camp-Lore and Woodcraft|Dan Beard
Anyhow, we ain' kin make de rabbit look lak he sittin' down w'en de hine legs is stickin' down straight lak de sawbuck.
Connie Morgan in the Fur Country|James B. Hendryx
They were travelers, not cow punchers, for the pack animal carried a sawbuck pack-saddle and a very small pack.
Jack the Young Cowboy|George Bird Grinnell
A man who was humped over a sawbuck in a nearby yard straightened up and began to pay strict attention.
When Egypt Went Broke|Holman Day

As in the case of the riding saddle, the sawbuck pack saddle should be supplied with the double cinch.
Packing and Portaging|Dillon Wallace

British Dictionary definitions for sawbuck

sawbuck

/ (ˈsɔːˌbʌk) /

noun

US and Canadian a sawhorse, esp one having an X-shaped supporting structure

mainly US and Canadian slang a ten-dollar bill

Word Origin for sawbuck

C19: (in the sense: sawhorse) translated from Dutch zaagbok; (in the sense: ten-dollar bill) from the legs of a sawbuck forming the Roman numeral X

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