saw Meaning, Definition & Usage

  1. noun a condensed but memorable saying embodying some important fact of experience that is taken as true by many people
    proverb; byword; adage.
  2. noun hand tool having a toothed blade for cutting
  3. noun a power tool for cutting wood
    power saw; sawing machine.
  4. verb cut with a saw
    • saw wood for the fireplace
  5. verb perceive by sight or have the power to perceive by sight
    see.
    • You have to be a good observer to see all the details
    • Can you see the bird in that tree?
    • He is blind--he cannot see
  6. verb perceive (an idea or situation) mentally
    see; understand; realize; realise.
    • Now I see!
    • I just can't see your point
    • Does she realize how important this decision is?
    • I don't understand the idea
  7. verb perceive or be contemporaneous with
    see; find; witness.
    • We found Republicans winning the offices
    • You'll see a lot of cheating in this school
    • The 1960's saw the rebellion of the younger generation against established traditions
    • I want to see results
  8. verb imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind
    picture; visualize; envision; figure; visualise; image; fancy; project; see.
    • I can't see him on horseback!
    • I can see what will happen
    • I can see a risk in this strategy
  9. verb deem to be
    reckon; see; regard; consider; view.
    • She views this quite differently from me
    • I consider her to be shallow
    • I don't see the situation quite as negatively as you do
  10. verb get to know or become aware of, usually accidentally
    pick up; get a line; discover; see; hear; learn; find out; get wind; get word.
    • I learned that she has two grown-up children
    • I see that you have been promoted
  11. verb see or watch
    catch; see; watch; take in; view.
    • view a show on television
    • This program will be seen all over the world
    • view an exhibition
    • Catch a show on Broadway
    • see a movie
  12. verb come together
    see; come across; run into; meet; run across; encounter.
    • I'll probably see you at the meeting
    • How nice to see you again!
  13. verb find out, learn, or determine with certainty, usually by making an inquiry or other effort
    learn; watch; see; determine; ascertain; find out; check.
    • I want to see whether she speaks French
    • See whether it works
    • find out if he speaks Russian
    • Check whether the train leaves on time
  14. verb be careful or certain to do something; make certain of something
    insure; control; see to it; assure; see; ensure; ascertain; check.
    • He verified that the valves were closed
    • See that the curtains are closed
    • control the quality of the product
  15. verb go to see for professional or business reasons
    see.
    • You should see a lawyer
    • We had to see a psychiatrist
  16. verb go to see for a social visit
    see.
    • I went to see my friend Mary the other day
  17. verb go to see a place, as for entertainment
    see; visit.
    • We went to see the Eiffel Tower in the morning
  18. verb take charge of or deal with
    see; take care; attend; look.
    • Could you see about lunch?
    • I must attend to this matter
    • She took care of this business
  19. verb receive as a specified guest
    see.
    • the doctor will see you now
    • The minister doesn't see anybody before noon
  20. verb date regularly; have a steady relationship with
    date; go out; see; go steady.
    • Did you know that she is seeing an older man?
    • He is dating his former wife again!
  21. verb see and understand, have a good eye
    see.
    • The artist must first learn to see
  22. verb deliberate or decide
    see.
    • See whether you can come tomorrow
    • let's see--which movie should we see tonight?
  23. verb observe as if with an eye
    see.
    • The camera saw the burglary and recorded it
  24. verb observe, check out, and look over carefully or inspect
    examine; see.
    • The customs agent examined the baggage
    • I must see your passport before you can enter the country
  25. verb go or live through
    see; go through; experience.
    • We had many trials to go through
    • he saw action in Viet Nam
  26. verb accompany or escort
    see; escort.
    • I'll see you to the door
  27. verb match or meet
    see.
    • I saw the bet of one of my fellow players
  28. verb make sense of; assign a meaning to
    see; interpret; construe.
    • What message do you see in this letter?
    • How do you interpret his behavior?

WordNet

Saw
Definitions
  1. imp. of See.
Saw noun
Etymology
OE. sawe, AS. sagu; akin to secgan to say. See Say, v. t. and cf. Saga.
Definitions
  1. Something said; speech; discourse. Obs. "To hearken all his sawe." Chaucer.
  2. A saying; a proverb; a maxim.
    His champions are the prophets and apostles, His weapons holy saws of sacred writ. Shak.
  3. Dictate; command; decree. Obs.
    [Love] rules the creatures by his powerful saw. Spenser.
Saw noun
Etymology
OE. sawe, AS. sage; akin to D. zaag, G. säge, OHG. sega, saga, Dan. sav, sw. såg, Icel. sög, L. secare to cut, securis ax, secula sickle. Cf. Scythe, Sickle, Section, Sedge.
Definitions
  1. An instrument for cutting or dividing substances, as wood, iron, etc., consisting of a thin blade, or plate, of steel, with a series of sharp teeth on the edge, which remove successive portions of the material by cutting and tearing. ✍ Saw is frequently used adjectively, or as the first part of a compound.
Saw transitive verb
Wordforms
imperfect Sawed ; past participle Sawed ∨ Sawn ; present participle & verbal noun Sawing
Definitions
  1. To cut with a saw; to separate with a saw; as, to saw timber or marble.
  2. To form by cutting with a saw; as, to saw boards or planks, that is, to saw logs or timber into boards or planks; to saw shingles; to saw out a panel.
  3. Also used figuratively; as, to saw the air.
Saw intransitive verb
Definitions
  1. To use a saw; to practice sawing; as, a man saws well.
  2. To cut, as a saw; as, the saw or mill saws fast.
  3. To be cut with a saw; as, the timber saws smoothly.

Webster 1913