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Definition of saw verb from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

saw

verb
 
/sɔː/
 
/sɔː/
Verb Forms
present simple I / you / we / they saw
 
/sɔː/
 
/sɔː/
he / she / it saws
 
/sɔːz/
 
/sɔːz/
past simple sawed
 
/sɔːd/
 
/sɔːd/
past participle sawn
 
/sɔːn/
 
/sɔːn/
(North American English also) past participle sawed
 
/sɔːd/
 
/sɔːd/
-ing form sawing
 
/ˈsɔːɪŋ/
 
/ˈsɔːɪŋ/
Phrasal Verbs
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  1. [intransitive, transitive] to use a saw to cut something
    • The workmen sawed and hammered all day.
    • + adv./prep. He accidentally sawed through a cable.
    • saw something (+ adv./prep.) She sawed the plank in half.
    see also whipsaw
    Extra Examples
    • She was still sawing away in the yard.
    • He took out his pocket knife and sawed at the bolt.
    • He was sawing through the trunk of the tree.
  2. [intransitive, transitive] saw (away) (at something) | saw something to move something backwards and forwards on something as if using a saw
    • She sawed away at her violin.
    • He was sawing energetically at a loaf of bread.
  3. past tense of see
  4. Word Originverb Old English saga, of Germanic origin; related to Dutch zaag.
See saw in the Oxford Advanced American Dictionary
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