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Axe vs Saw - What's the difference?

axe | saw |

In transitive terms the difference between axe and saw

is that axe is to lay off: to terminate a person's employment while saw is to form or produce (something) by cutting with a saw.

As an initialism SAW is

{{term|lang=ar|صلى الله عليه وسلم|gloss=sallalahu aleyhi wasallam|tr=peace be upon him}.

axe

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl), from (etyl) , and also (etyl) (m).

Alternative forms

* ax (largely US)

Noun

(en noun)
  • A tool for felling trees or chopping wood etc. consisting of a heavy head flattened to a blade on one side, and a handle attached to it.
  • An ancient weapon consisting of a head that has one or two blades and a long handle.
  • (informal) A dismissal or rejection.
  • His girlfriend/boss/schoolmaster gave him the axe .
  • * 1975 , (Bob Dylan), (Tangled Up in Blue)
  • I had a job in the great North Woods
    Workin' as a cook for a spell.
    But I never did like it all that much
    And one day the axe just fell.
  • (slang, music) A gigging musician's particular instrument, especially a guitar in rock music or a saxophone in jazz.
  • (finance) A directional position or interest, by a dealer in a financial market – if one wishes to unload stock, one is “axed to sell” or “has an axe”. Shedding the correlation ‘axe’, Risk magazine Derived from “have an axe to grind”, which is also used.
  • Usage notes
    In the United States, this spelling is often used to distinguish the weapon from the tool, though some simply don't use the "ax" spelling at all, and only use "axe".
    Synonyms
    * chop, pink slip, sack, boot
    Derived terms
    * have an axe to grind * battle axe * axeman
    See also
    * adze * hatchet * twibill

    Verb

    (ax)
  • To fell or chop with an axe.
  • To terminate or reduce tremendously in a rough or ruthless manner.
  • The government announced its plans to axe public spending.
    The broadcaster axed the series because far less people than expected watched it.
  • To lay off: to terminate a person's employment
  • He got axed in the last round of firings.
    Synonyms
    * (lay off) fire, lay off, downsize

    Etymology 2

    Alternative forms

    * (US)

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (archaic) The axle of a wheel.
  • Verb

    (ax)
  • To furnish with an axle.
  • Etymology 3

    Verb

    (ax)
  • (obsolete, or, dialectal)
  • * 1395 , John Wycliffe, trans. Bible , 1 Corinthis 14:35:
  • But if thei wolen ony thing lerne, at home axe thei her hosebondis; for it is foule thing to a womman to speke in chirche.
  • * 1526 , William Tyndale, trans. Bible , Luke IIi:
  • And the people axed hym, sayinge: What shall we do then.

    saw

    English

    (wikipedia saw)

    Etymology 1

    From (etyl) sawe, from (etyl) saga, .

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A tool with a toothed blade used for cutting hard substances, in particular wood or metal
  • A musical saw.
  • A sawtooth wave.
  • Derived terms
    * backsaw * band saw, bandsaw * buzz saw * chainsaw * chop saw * circular saw * coping saw * crosscut saw * fretsaw * hacksaw * handsaw * hole saw * Japanese-style handsaw * jigsaw * miter saw, mitre saw * power saw * razor-tooth saw * reciprocating saw * rift saw * rip saw * sawbones * sawhorse * sawtooth * scroll saw * table saw * tenon saw

    Verb

  • To cut (something) with a saw.
  • To make a motion back and forth similar to cutting something with a saw.
  • The fiddler sawed away at his instrument.
  • To be cut with a saw.
  • The timber saws smoothly.
  • To form or produce (something) by cutting with a saw.
  • to saw boards or planks (i.e. to saw logs or timber into boards or planks)
    to saw''' shingles; to '''saw out a panel

    Etymology 2

    From (etyl) sawe, from (etyl) sagu, . More at (l), (l).

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • (label) Something spoken; speech, discourse.
  • *, Bk.V:
  • *:And for thy trew sawys , and I may lyve many wynters, there was never no knyght better rewardid.
  • (often old saw ) A saying or proverb.
  • (label) Opinion, idea, belief; by thy ~, in your opinion; commune ~, common opinion; common knowledge; on no ~, by no means.
  • *Polychronicon Ranulphi Higden
  • *:Þe more comoun sawe is þat Remus was i-slawe for he leep ouer þe newe walles of Rome.
  • (label) Proposal, suggestion; possibility.
  • *Earl of Toulouse
  • *:All they assentyd to the sawe ; They thoght he spake reson and lawe.
  • (label) Dictate; command; decree.
  • *Spenser
  • *:[Love] rules the creatures by his powerful saw .
  • Synonyms
    * See also

    Etymology 3

    See see . Cognate with Dutch zag, German sah, Danish .

    Verb

    (head)
  • (see)
  • Statistics

    *