sawtooth

American  

[saw-tooth] / ˈsɔˌtuθ /

noun

plural

sawteeth

1. one of the cutting teeth of a saw.

2. any of the small parallel roof structures forming a sawtooth roof.

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adjective

1. having a zigzag profile, similar to that of the cutting edge of a saw; sawtoothed; serrate.

   a sawtooth mountain range.

sawtooth British  

/ ˈsɔːˌtuːθ /

adjective

1. (of a waveform) having an amplitude that varies linearly with time between two values, the interval in one direction often being much greater than the other

2. having or generating such a waveform

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Etymology

Origin of sawtooth

First recorded in 1595–1605; saw ¹ + tooth

Example Sentences

It even uses thinner shoelaces, using a grippy sawtooth pattern that helps them stay tied.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026

So when we publish the list of potential post-earnings moves, the stocks have this sawtooth pattern surrounding past earnings dates, as NKE shows here:

From MarketWatch • Mar. 26, 2026

“I said, ’Cause, man, No. 1: we sculpt an electronic signal into a sine wave that’s smooth, or a sawtooth, which is rough.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 4, 2024

Serrated polyps are so-called because of their sawtooth appearance under a microscope.

From Science Daily • Dec. 13, 2023

But they were attacked by a monster with milk-blue eyes and sawtooth skin and teeth like spears jutting from its lower jaw.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee