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to serrate

to serrate

17 7.7
To give an edge small teeth like a saw
  • verb
  • /ˈsɛrət/
translation icon : dentear
  • serrated knife
  • serrated edge
  • serrated blade

Examples

  • The knife used was a heavy blade, 6 inches long with a serrated upper edge.

  • Do you have anything this size that's serrated?

  • I prefer this method to a serrated knife because it doesn't crush the dough.

    Blog text (8)
  • "Dude," Colby explained, holding a serrated carrot stick in the air as if in demonstration of his point.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Right now her hand is slowly inching across the tablecloth toward a serrated knife.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • Jack's mother stood at the table coring apples with a sharp, serrated instrument.

    Fiction book (2000)
  • Seven-inch blade, partially serrated, well-balanced if you dip when you cut.

  • The skin abrasions, they're indicative of a knife with a partially serrated edge.

  • To cut the bread easily, use a serrated knife that makes clean, jagged slices.

  • He decided to serrate the edge of the cardboard to make it easier to tear.

Synonyms

to jag
vsto serrate
8.4

To cut notches or sharp points into something

creates a regular saw-toothed edge rather than irregular notches

Compounds

A leaf with edges like small saw teeth pointing toward the tip

How Jagged

to serrate
17 7.7
to notch
15 4.1
to score
20 7.0

Surface Forms

serrate infinitive
serrated past
serrated past participle
serrating present participle
serrates third person singular

Morphology

serrate = serr + ate

The verb is formed with the productive suffix '-ate' meaning 'to make or become', but the root 'serr-' (meaning 'saw') is not a familiar English base, so the derivation is only partly clear to learners.

Etymology

To serrate comes from the Latin serra, meaning 'saw'. It means to make small saw-like notches along an edge, so to serrate something is to give it a saw-toothed rim.