saw-pit

A lumberjack stands in a saw-pit, cutting a long log with a two-man saw.

Definition

1. Noun:
   • A pit over which timber is sawed: A "saw-pit" is a deep trench or hole in the ground, over which a log is placed to be cut into planks by two sawyers, one standing above and one below in the pit.

Usage Examples

• Noun:
  • The sawyers worked together at the saw-pit, one standing on top of the log and the other in the pit below. (A pit used for sawing timber with two people.)
  • Before modern sawmills, most lumber was cut by hand using a saw-pit. (A historical method of cutting wood.)

Advanced Usage

• "to work at a saw-pit": to be employed in the manual process of sawing logs into boards.
  • The carpenter hired two men to work at the saw-pit for the new building project. (To perform the labor of sawing timber using the pit method.)

Variants and Related Words

• Sawpit (n): an alternative spelling of "saw-pit," meaning the same thing.

  • The old sawpit was still visible in the forest, covered with moss. (The pit used for sawing.)

• Sawyer (n): a person who saws timber, especially in a saw-pit.

  • The sawyer was skilled at guiding the long blade while standing in the pit. (The worker who operates the saw.)

Synonyms

• Pit-sawing station: a location where sawing is done over a pit.
• Timber pit: a hole used for cutting wood into planks.

Related Idioms

• No direct idioms: "Saw-pit" is a technical, historical term and does not commonly appear in idiomatic expressions.

Phrasal Verbs

• No common phrasal verbs: The word "saw-pit" is a noun and does not form phrasal verbs.