# saw

Pronunciation: say "SAW" US /sɔ/, UK /sɔː/

## Verb

1. Past tense of see. — simple past of see
   - Simple: Past tense of see. Use it for the past.
   - _The hikers saw a rainbow arch over the valley._
   - _He saw at once that something was wrong._
3. To cut, cut through, or shape something using a saw; (of a material) to be cut by a saw, especially in a particular way.
   - Simple: To cut or shape something with a saw. Also used to say how easily a material cuts this way.
   - _We had to saw through the fallen tree before we could drive down the road._
   - _He sawed the rusty bolt off the gate hinge._
4. Past participle of see. Nonstandard; the standard form is seen. *(nonstandard)* — past participle of see
   - Simple: Past participle of see. Some people say this in casual speech, but it is not standard English.
   - _We've saw enough trouble to know better by now._
   - _She had saw him around the neighborhood before._
5. To make a back-and-forth motion like that of cutting something with a saw.
   - Simple: To move back and forth in a cutting motion, like using a saw.
   - _The violinists saw away at their strings during the frantic finale._
   - _She sawed at the air with her arms to keep her balance._

## Noun

2. A tool for cutting hard materials such as wood, metal, or stone, typically with a toothed blade but sometimes with an abrasive edge or disc.
   - Simple: A tool with a sharp toothed edge, or sometimes a rough grinding edge, used for cutting wood, metal, or stone.
   - _The carpenter guided the saw steadily along the pencil line._
   - _A dull saw tears at the grain instead of slicing cleanly._
6. A flexible metal blade, often a hand saw, played as an instrument by bowing its smooth edge to produce sliding, eerie tones.
   - Simple: A bendy metal blade played like an instrument by drawing a bow across it.
   - _A lone musician swayed as the saw moaned through the quiet theater._
   - _He tuned the pitch of the saw by changing how sharply he bent it._
7. A traditional saying or proverb, especially a well-worn and familiar one.
   - Simple: A short, well-known old saying that people often repeat.
   - _It's an old saw that money can't buy happiness, but a raise certainly helped._
   - _The coach repeated the old saw about defense winning games._

## Noun

8. Something said; speech or discourse in general. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Words that someone says out loud.
9. An opinion, idea, or belief held by a person. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An opinion, idea, or belief that a person holds.
10. A proposal or suggestion; a possibility put forward for consideration. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A suggestion or idea about what could be done.
11. A dictate, command, or decree issued by one in authority. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: An order or command from someone in charge.

## Other meanings

- (noun) A waveform that rises steadily to a peak and then drops sharply, repeating in a sawtooth pattern.
- (noun) In whist and similar games, a crossruff: two partners take turns leading each other a suit the other holds none of, so that every such lead is trumped.

## Origin

**Meanings 2–3, 5–6** — The noun comes from Middle English 'sawe', from Old English 'saga', going back to Proto-Germanic and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root *sek- ('to cut'). It is related to Dutch 'zaag', German 'Säge', and Swedish 'såg', and through Indo-European to Latin 'secō' ('cut'). The verb developed from this noun.
**Meanings 7–11** — This sense comes from Middle English 'sawe', from Old English 'sagu' ('story, tale, saying'), from Proto-Germanic and ultimately the Proto-Indo-European root *sekʷ- ('to say'). It is related to German 'Sage' ('legend, tale') and Icelandic 'saga' ('story'), and is a doublet of 'saga'.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/saw (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).