saw

"Saw" is a very common English word with two main lives: it is the past tense of the verb "see", and it is also a noun (and verb) referring to a cutting tool. Here are the most important senses.

1verbpast tense of 'see'

This is the most common use of 'saw'. When you want to talk about seeing something in the past, you use 'saw' instead of 'see'. Think of it like this: today you SEE, but yesterday you SAW.

everyday language · Modern, widely used

I saw a beautiful rainbow on my way to work this morning.

She saw her old friend at the supermarket yesterday.

We saw a great film last weekend.

2nouncutting tool

A saw is a tool used to cut through hard materials like wood or metal. It has a flat blade with sharp, jagged teeth along one edge. You move it back and forth to cut through things. You find it in toolboxes, workshops, and construction sites.

construction, woodworking · Modern, widely used

My father used a saw to cut the wooden planks for the bookshelf.

You will need a saw to trim those tree branches.

The carpenter picked up his saw and got to work.

3verbto cut with a saw

When you use a saw as an action — actually cutting something with that tool — you are 'sawing'. You move the blade back and forth repeatedly to cut through the material. It describes the physical motion of using the tool.

construction, everyday language · Modern, widely used

He spent the afternoon sawing logs for the fireplace.

She carefully sawed the piece of wood in half.

They sawed through the old fence to remove it.

4nounfigurativean old saying or proverb

A 'saw' can also mean a short, wise saying that people have repeated for a very long time — what we usually call a proverb or a saying. For example, 'better late than never' is the kind of thing people might call an old saw. This use is less common in everyday speech.

literature, formal speech · Formal, more common in older texts · figurative

My grandmother always quoted the old saw: 'A stitch in time saves nine.'

The coach reminded the team of the old saw that practice makes perfect.

There is an old saw that says every cloud has a silver lining.