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handsaw

handsaw

3 2.3
A tool you hold in one hand to cut wood
  • noun
  • /ˈhændˌsɔː/
translation icon : sierra manual
  • Carpenters cut lumber with handsaws, and the sawdust filled the air with sweet pungency.
  • use a handsaw
  • small handsaw
  • cut with a handsaw

I might just need, you know, planks, nails, handsaw, right.

Examples

  • He went into the storeroom and returned with a handsaw.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • I cut it using my miter saw, but if all you have is the handsaw, that's perfectly fine too.

  • I decided I could make you a bird feeder with the handsaw.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • So, using a triangle and straight edge, I marked my cut line and used my trusty handsaw to cut my door to size.

    Blog text (27)
  • Fortunately, I had brought a small handsaw, and we were able to saw a few slabs from a fallen branch of this same tree.

    Academic text (1991)
  • They left camp with two empty pack frames, both rifles, and a handsaw and rope.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Next, they had to make the boards for the coop from the trees they had chopped down with axes and handsaws.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • For two days she had been cutting the three-inch diameter pipe, which was hard to hold while the jagged teeth of the handsaw tore mercilessly into its smooth black plastic surface.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • This garage was filled with my father's things, his electric saw and worktable with its assortment of hammers, nails, screwdrivers, hacksaws, handsaws, drills, and odd tools I never knew the names for.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • To shape the wood precisely, use a handsaw for your project.

Synonyms

saw
vshandsaw
54 1.0

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

is the more specific one-handed tool category within that broader general term
hand tool
vshandsaw
5 1.8

A thing you hold and use with your hands, not powered by a machine, like a hammer or screwdriver

is a specific one-handed cutting instrument not every nonpowered device
hand saw
vshandsaw
1 2.1

A saw used with one hand to cut wood

is the same tool but differs only in phrasing or spacing
crosscut saw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
1 5.1

A hand saw for cutting wood across the grain

is the general one-handed cutting tool not defined by tooth shape
ripsaw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
1 8.0

A hand tool that cuts wood along the grain

is the general one-handed cutting tool used across directions not only along grain
coping saw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
1 6.9

A small hand saw with a thin blade in a U-shaped frame for cutting curves in wood

is the regular one-handed cutter used for common straight or rough cuts
keyhole saw
vshandsaw
  • US
1 6.8

A small hand tool with a long narrow blade for cutting tight curves and holes in wood or drywall

is the broader one-handed cutter used for many larger wood cuts
carpenter's saw
vshandsaw
3.4

A hand saw used by carpenters to cut wood

is the general one-handed cutting tool not limited to carpentry
crosscut handsaw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
6.1

A hand tool for cutting wood across the grain

is a general one-handed cutting tool used in any cutting direction
cutoff saw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
7.1

A saw used to cut wood across the grain at right angles

is the broader one-handed cutting tool not only for right angle cuts
splitsaw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
9.9

A hand saw for cutting wood along the grain to make long straight cuts

is the broader one-handed cutter used for many kinds of wood cuts
backsaw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
7.7

A short hand saw that has a stiff metal back for making precise cuts in wood

is the general one-handed cutting tool without the stiffening spine
back saw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
6.0

A saw with a stiff top edge used for making small, precise cuts in wood

is the common one-handed cutter used for rough as well as fine work
compass saw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
7.9

A small tool with a long, narrow, pointed blade for cutting tight curves in wood

is the general one-handed tool for straight and basic cuts not curves
fretsaw
vshandsaw
  • Specialized
8.8

A hand tool with a thin blade for cutting small curved shapes in wood

is the general hand-operated cutting tool for broader less detailed work
pruning saw
vshandsaw
3.4

A handsaw with a narrow blade for cutting tree or bush branches

is the general one-handed cutting tool used in shops not garden pruning

Compounds

crosscut handsaw
  • Specialized
6.1

A hand tool for cutting wood across the grain

handsaw fish
  • Specialized
9.9

A sea fish with a long thin body and a sharp saw-like snout for catching prey

How Big

handsaw
3 2.3
keyhole saw
  • US
1 6.8

Surface Forms

handsaw singular
handsaws plural

Morphology

handsaw = hand + saw (transparent) = hand + saw

Transparent compound: the meaning is directly the combination of 'hand' and 'saw' (a saw operated by hand).

Etymology

Handsaw is simply hand + saw, literally a saw used with the 'hand'. That's why a handsaw is a saw you hold and move yourself, not a machine.