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Glite Dictionary
ripsaw

ripsaw

1 8.0
A hand tool that cuts wood along the grain
  • noun
  • /ˈrɪpˌsɔ/
  • Specialized
translation icon : sierra de corte
  • To create the furniture, he relied on a sharp ripsaw for smooth cuts.

Examples

  • When working on the project, she found that the ripsaw was perfect for slicing through the thick planks.

  • Make way for the ripsaw!

    Mad Max: Fury Road (2015)

  • I brought a ripsaw up here, chopped, and sawed until I was exhausted.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • The first scrape of the bow on the strings snagged at the shipsong like a ripsaw on silk.

    Fiction book (1994)

  • The carpenter used a ripsaw to cut the wooden beams precisely along the grain.

Synonyms

handsaw
vsripsaw
3 2.3

A tool you hold in one hand to cut wood

is the same hand tool but specifically for grainwise cutting
whipsaw
vsripsaw
  • Archaic
1 9.6

A long saw with handles at both ends used by two people

is a single-operator hand tool meant for cutting along the grain
splitsaw
vsripsaw
  • Specialized
9.9

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

is the exact same tool but given an alternate label
carpenter's saw
vsripsaw
3.4

A hand saw used by carpenters to cut wood

is the general single-operator tool, not limited to craftsmen
pitsaw
vsripsaw
  • Archaic
9.9

A large saw used by two people to cut logs into planks, with one above and one below

is a smaller hand-held tool used for single-person grain cutting

Surface Forms

ripsaw singular
ripsaws plural

Morphology

ripsaw = rip + saw (transparent) = rip + saw

The compound is a straightforward combination meaning 'a saw for ripping (cutting along the grain)', which learners can derive from the component words.

Etymology

The word ripsaw comes from rip ('to tear or cut') and saw. So a ripsaw is a saw made for 'ripping' wood along the grain, which gives long, straight cuts.