saw-tooth

A carpenter uses a saw-tooth blade to cut a piece of wood.

Definition

1. Noun:

   • A tooth of a saw: "saw-tooth" refers to one of the sharp, pointed projections along the edge of a saw blade, which cuts material by moving back and forth.
   • A shape resembling a saw's tooth: Used metaphorically to describe any pattern or object with a jagged, zigzag outline similar to the teeth of a saw.

2. Adjective:

   • Having a jagged or serrated edge: "saw-tooth" describes something that is shaped like the teeth of a saw, typically with alternating sharp points and indentations.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • The blade was damaged, and one saw-tooth had broken off. (One of the individual projections on the saw's edge was missing.)
  • The graph showed a saw-tooth pattern, rising and falling sharply. (A pattern with a jagged, zigzag shape.)

• Adjective:

  • The knife had a saw-tooth edge for cutting bread. (The edge was serrated, like a saw's teeth.)
  • The mountain range had a saw-tooth profile against the sky. (The mountains had a jagged, uneven outline.)

Advanced Usage

• "saw-tooth wave": In electronics and physics, a waveform that rises linearly and then drops sharply, resembling the shape of a saw's teeth.

  • The oscillator produced a saw-tooth wave for the synthesizer. (A specific type of waveform with a rapid rise and fall.)

• "saw-tooth roof": An architectural roof design with a series of ridges and valleys, often used in industrial buildings to allow natural light.

  • The factory had a saw-tooth roof to maximize sunlight. (A roof with a jagged, saw-like profile.)

Variants and Related Words

• Saw-toothed (adj): having a serrated edge or jagged shape.

  • The saw-toothed leaves of the plant are distinctive. (The leaves have a jagged margin.)

• Sawtooth (noun, alternative spelling): same meaning as "saw-tooth"; often used as a compound word without a hyphen.

  • The sawtooth pattern is common in electronic signals. (The jagged shape is typical.)

Synonyms

• Serration: a single tooth or point in a serrated edge.
• Jagged edge: a rough, uneven border with sharp points.
• Zigzag: a line or pattern with sharp turns, similar to a saw's teeth.

Related Idioms

• As sharp as a saw-tooth: very sharp or pointed, often used literally.

  • The blade was as sharp as a saw-tooth, cutting through the wood easily. (Extremely sharp.)

• Saw-tooth smile: a smile that shows uneven or pointed teeth.

  • His saw-tooth smile was unsettling to the children. (A grin with jagged-looking teeth.)