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Added 7 October 2026

saw

/sɔː/ symbol

In Latin: serra Wiktionary

symbol Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about saw at Wordnik → Where our words come from →

ISO 639-3 language code for Sawi.

noun

A tool used for cutting hard substances, in particular wood or metal. Such a tool with a toothed blade.
Such a tool with a toothed blade.
Such a tool with an abrasive coating instead of teeth.

verb

To cut (something) with a saw.
To make a motion back and forth similar to cutting something with a saw.
To be cut with a saw.
The timber saws smoothly.

noun

Something spoken; speech, discourse.
A saying or proverb.
old saw
Opinion, idea, belief.
by thy saw

Origin

The noun from Middle English sawe, sawgh, from Old English saga, sagu (“saw”), from Proto-West Germanic *sagu, from Proto-Germanic *sagô, *sagō (“saw”), from Proto-Indo-European *sek- (“to cut”). Cognate with West Frisian seage (“saw”), Dutch zaag (“saw”), German Säge (“saw”), Danish sav (“saw”), Faroese, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk sag (“saw”), Swedish såg (“saw”), Icelandic sög (“saw”), and through Indo-European, with Latin secō (“cut”) and Italian sega (“saw”). The verb from Middle English sawen, from the noun above.

From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)

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