crosscut saw

noun

1. a saw for cutting wood perpendicular to the grain.

crosscut saw

noun

1. a saw for cutting timber across the grain

Word History and Origins

Origin of crosscut saw¹

An Americanism dating back to 1635–45

Example Sentences

One day, her four-person crew hiked three miles into the woods toting a crosscut saw.

From Washington Post

That meant workers had to use two-person crosscut saws and other hand-held tools to dismantle trees that had fallen over the trails.

From Washington Times

“My father worked all day cutting wood with a crosscut saw,” Guy told me.

From The New Yorker

Howe and Stokes both grew up in Portland, and neither had a background in timber cutting, let alone using crosscut saws - the 19th-century tool known by lumberjacks as a “misery whip.”

From Washington Times

Howe and Stokes both grew up in Portland, and neither had a background in timber cutting, let alone using crosscut saws — the 19th-century tool known by lumberjacks as a “misery whip.”

From Seattle Times