sawdust

American

[saw-duhst] / ˈsɔˌdʌst /

noun

small particles of wood produced in sawing. saw.

sawdust British

/ ˈsɔːˌdʌst /

noun

particles of wood formed by sawing

"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

Etymology

Origin of sawdust

First recorded in 1520–30; saw ¹ + dust

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

It has a facility near Marquette, Mich., that is fed sawdust and tree tops from the Upper Peninsula’s pineries.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 17, 2025

The process begins with Permafungi recovering waste materials such as sawdust that are discarded by traditional industries.

From Barron's • Nov. 13, 2025

He said: "The finances aren't good, the margins are wafer thin. It's a lot of sawing for not much sawdust, as my grandfather used to say."

From BBC • May 27, 2025

A genetic mutation is like accidentally replacing one ingredient with something completely different -- for example, using sawdust instead of flour.

From Science Daily • Nov. 22, 2024

The sawdust blew a dry cloudburst over us.

From "The Teacher’s Funeral" by Richard Peck

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023