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View synonyms for

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 or 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 or 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 1.

saw

3

[ saw ]

noun

  1. a sententious saying; maxim; proverb:

    He could muster an old saw for every occasion.

SAW

1

abbreviation for

  1. surface acoustic wave
“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

saw

2

/ ɔː /

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
“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

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
“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

saw

3

/ ɔː /

verb

  1. the past tense of see 1
“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

saw

4

/ ɔː /

noun

  1. a wise saying, maxim, or proverb
“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
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Derived Forms

  • ˈɱ, noun
  • ˈˌ, adjective
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Other Word Forms

  • İ noun
  • l adjective
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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 ǫ, German ä, all meaning “saw”; akin to Latin “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
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Word History and Origins

Origin of saw1

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

Origin of saw2

Old English sagu a saying; related to saga
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Idioms and Phrases

Idioms
  1. saw wood, Informal. to snore loudly while sleeping.

More idioms and phrases containing saw

see old saw .
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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

A report by Freedom House's China Dissent Monitor claims that protests driven by financial grievances saw a steep increase in the last few months.

From

In Monday's election, both the Liberals and the Conservatives saw a significant rise in their share of the national vote compared with four years ago.

From

The apartment manager saw Charron approaching and let her hide inside, then walked her back to her apartment.

From

He was able to subdue the effects and "get on with life", but when he saw Burrows on the BBC's Crimewatch "it brought everything back".

From

A witness recorded the incident on camera from a nearby bedroom window and saw Mr Clark being taken to a police van.

From

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

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.

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