Sawed

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To have utilized a cutting instrument with a toothed edge for the purpose of dividing materials into smaller parts, frequently wood, through repetitive back-and-forth motion
2. To have employed a tool with a serrated blade in order to cut through substances, such as timber or metal, by moving it rhythmically back and forth
3. To have used a device designed for cutting that features teeth to segment various materials, usually by means of a repetitive motion

Etymology: "Sawed" is the past tense and past participle of "saw", and the form itself is simple: the regular past tense suffix "-ed" added to the verb. The verb "saw" traces back to Old English "sagu", the noun for the tool, which was later turned into a verb meaning to cut with one. The strong past tense of "saw" is "sawn", and "sawed" has become the more common choice in American usage. There is a further wrinkle. The verb "saw" is also a strong past tense form of a different verb, "see", so "saw" can look like a past tense of itself. In that sense, "sawed" is the regular, unambiguous past form, while "sawn" keeps the older strong pattern.

Synonyms: cut, sliced, chopped, carved, hacked

Antonyms: joined, connected, assembled, fixed, repaired