\Saw\ (s[add]),
imp. of {See}.

\Saw\, n. [OE. sawe, AS. sagu; akin to secgan to say. See
{Say}, v. t. and cf. {Saga}.]
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\, n. [OE. sawe, AS. sage; akin to D. zaag, G. s["a]ge,
OHG. sega, saga, Dan. sav, Sw. s[*a]g, Icel. s["o]g, L.
secare to cut, securis ax, secula sickle. Cf. {Scythe},
{Sickle}, {Section}, {Sedge}.]
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.

Note: Saw is frequently used adjectively, or as the first
      part of a compound.

{Band saw}, {Crosscut saw}, etc. See under {Band},
   {Crosscut}, etc.

{Circular saw}, a disk of steel with saw teeth upon its
   periphery, and revolved on an arbor.

{Saw bench}, a bench or table with a flat top for for sawing,
   especially with a circular saw which projects above the
   table.

{Saw file}, a three-cornered file, such as is used for
   sharpening saw teeth.

{Saw frame}, the frame or sash in a sawmill, in which the
   saw, or gang of saws, is held.

{Saw gate}, a saw frame.

{Saw gin}, the form of cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney, in
   which the cotton fibers are drawn, by the teeth of a set
   of revolving circular saws, through a wire grating which
   is too fine for the seeds to pass.

{Saw grass} (Bot.), any one of certain cyperaceous plants
   having the edges of the leaves set with minute sharp
   teeth, especially the {Cladium Mariscus} of Europe, and
   the {Cladium effusum} of the Southern United States. Cf.
   {Razor grass}, under {Razor}.

{Saw log}, a log of suitable size for sawing into lumber.

{Saw mandrel}, a mandrel on which a circular saw is fastened
   for running.

{Saw pit}, a pit over which timbor is sawed by two men, one
   standing below the timber and the other above. --Mortimer.

{Saw sharpener} (Zo["o]l.), the great titmouse; -- so named
   from its harsh call note. [Prov. Eng.]

{Saw whetter} (Zo["o]l.), the marsh titmouse ({Parus
   palustris}); -- so named from its call note. [Prov. Eng.]



{Scroll saw}, a ribbon of steel with saw teeth upon one edge,
   stretched in a frame and adapted for sawing curved
   outlines; also, a machine in which such a saw is worked by
   foot or power.

\Saw\, v. t. [imp. {Sawed}; p. p. {Sawed} or {Sawn}; p. pr.
& vb. n. {Sawing}.]
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\, v. i.
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.