saw

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   cut with a saw

   saw wood for the fireplace

2. 2
   verb

   To cut (something) with a saw.

   They were stoned, they were sawen asunder, were tempted, were slaine with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskinnes, and goat skins, being destitute, afflicted, tormented.

3. 3
   verb

   To make a motion back and forth similar to cutting something with a saw.

   He said he was sometimes whistling a tune to himself — for, like me, he sawed a good deal on the fiddle; […]

4. 4
   verb

   To be cut with a saw.

   The timber saws smoothly.

5. 5
   verb

   To form or produce (something) by cutting with a saw.

   to saw boards or planks (i.e. to saw logs or timber into boards or planks)

6. 6
   noun

   Something spoken; speech, discourse.

   And for thy trew sawys, and I may lyve many wynters, there was never no knyght better rewardid[…]. And for your true discourses, and I may live many winters, there was never no knight better rewarded[…].

7. 7
   noun

   A saying or proverb.

   old saw

8. 8
   noun

   Opinion, idea, belief.

   by thy saw

Etymology

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”), 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.