hacksaw

IPA/ˈhæksɔː/
KK[hˈæksˌɔ]IPA/ˈhæksɔː/

hacksaw — noun

  • hacksawsingular
  • hacksawsplural

1. a hand tool with a narrow blade and fine teeth, held in a metal frame, designed

1.nounB2
Definition

a hand tool with a narrow blade and fine teeth, held in a metal frame, designed for cutting through pipes, bars, and other metal objects

Example

The building caretaker used a hacksaw to cut the metal tubing for the new handrail.

use a hacksaw + to-infinitive purpose clause

Chen Wei borrowed a hacksaw from the repair shop to shorten the shelf brackets.

borrow + hacksaw + from + place

Common collocations
  • hacksaw blade
  • hacksaw frame
  • cut with a hacksaw
  • use a hacksaw
  • a fine-toothed hacksaw
Synonyms
  • metal saw

    a more general term; hacksaw is the most common type of metal saw

  • bow saw

    similar C-shaped frame but usually used for wood, not metal

Usage Note

Commonly used with 'blade' (the replaceable toothed strip) and 'frame' (the metal holder). The verb form 'hacksaw' (to cut with this tool) exists but is much rarer.

Common Mistakes

He cut the wood with a hacksaw.
He cut the metal pipe with a hacksaw.
A hacksaw is specifically designed for metal; a handsaw or coping saw is used for wood.

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

All four are cutting tools, but they differ in blade design and material. A hacksaw has a thin, fine-toothed blade stretched tight in a metal frame and is meant for metal. A handsaw is a large, flexible blade with coarser teeth for cutting wood. A coping saw uses a very narrow blade in a deep U-shaped frame and is designed for curved cuts in wood or plastic. A jigsaw is a power tool with a reciprocating blade that cuts curves or straight lines in wood, metal, or tile. If you say 'cut the metal pipe with a handsaw,' a native speaker would picture the wrong tool.

hacksaw ↗handsawcoping sawjigsaw ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • hacksaw blade
  • hacksaw frame

Phrases

  • cut something with a hacksaw
  • use a hacksaw on something
  • a fine-toothed hacksaw

Prepositions

  • with a hacksaw

Etymology

Old EnglishEarly Modern EnglishEnglish

The word 'hacksaw' was first recorded in 1638. It combines 'hack' (meaning to cut or chop roughly, from Old English 'haccian') with 'saw' (the cutting tool, from Old English 'sagu'). The name reflects the tool's original purpose: cutting metal with a rough, back-and-forth hacking motion rather than the smooth push used for wood saws.