handsaw

noun — 2 senses

handsaw

noun

Etymology From Middle English handsawe, handsagh, equivalent to hand + saw. Cognate with West Frisian hânseage (“handsaw”), Dutch handzaag (“handsaw”), German Handsäge (“handsaw”), Danish håndsav (“handsaw”), Swedish handsåg (“handsaw”), Icelandic handsög (“handsaw”).

A saw small enough to be used by one hand.

Coordinate terms: backsaw, a handsaw that has a reinforcement along its back edge, crosscut saw

handsaw

noun

Etymology Corruption of heronshaw.

Obsolete A heron.

When the wind is southerly, I know a hawk from a handsaw.c. 1600, William Shakespeare, Hamlet, act II, scene II:

Entry derived from the Wiktionary, under licence CC BY-SA 4.0 — list of authors.