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hack saw

hack saw

3.6
A hand saw with a thin blade and many small teeth for cutting metal and other hard materials
  • noun
  • /ˈhæk sɔː/
translation icon : sierra de arco
  • To finish the project, he decided to use a hack saw for the final cuts.

Examples

  • We can try the hack saw.

  • The carpenter used a hack saw to cut the metal pipe precisely.

  • He got himself a hack saw.

  • With a hack saw in hand, she carefully cut through the thick piece of metal.

Synonyms

cutter
vshack saw
67 2.5

A tool used to cut materials like glass or dough

is more specific, a hand tool with thin fine teeth for metal
saw
vshack saw
54 1.0

A tool with a thin toothed blade used to cut wood or other materials

is narrower, focusing on harder materials and finer teeth
hacksaw
vshack saw
14 4.0

A small hand tool with a thin blade and small teeth in a frame for cutting metal

is the same but written as two separate words
cutting tool
vshack saw
2 3.1

A tool like a knife or scissors that cuts materials

is narrower and manual with a fine-toothed frame for metal
metal saw
vshack saw
1 3.5

A tool you hold in one hand for cutting metal like pipes

is the hand-operated fine-toothed tool for metal and hard materials

How Fine-Toothed

hack saw
3.6
saw
54 1.0
handsaw
3 2.3

Surface Forms

hack saw singular
hack saws plural

Morphology

hack + saw

The noun is transparently built from 'hack' (to cut/chop) + 'saw' (cutting tool), so a learner who knows both words will infer it is a type of saw used for cutting. The compound follows a regular modifier+head pattern and is compositional; learners might not infer the exact technical details (fine-toothed/metal use) but will understand the basic meaning.

Etymology

Hack saw comes from the word hack, which meant 'to cut with short strokes', plus saw. That's why the name Hack saw means 'a hand saw for cutting metal'.