chainsaw

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UK/ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɔː/US/ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɔ/cot caught merger/ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɑ/

noun

A power saw that has a power-driven and fast-revolving chain of metal teeth, usually used to cut trees.

“He used a chainsaw to cut through the fallen tree on the roadway.”

Similar
chain saw
Less commonScrabble 16
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Meanings

nounchainsaw (plural chainsaws)

plural chainsaws · alternative chain saw

  1. machinerybusinessA power saw that has a power-driven and fast-revolving chain of metal teeth, usually used to cut trees.

    He used a chainsaw to cut through the fallen tree on the roadway.

verbchainsaw (third-person singular simple present chainsaws, present participle chainsawing, simple past chainsawed, past participle chainsawed or chainsawn)

present singular third person chainsaws · participle present chainsawing · past chainsawed · participle past chainsawed · participle past chainsawn · alternative chain saw

  1. transitivebusinessTo cut with a chainsaw.

    She and Barber once stopped a developer from chainsawing mature trees on Mississauga Rd. by standing in front of them.

    2009 September 9, Mike Funston, “Mississauga pulls green thorn from its paw”, in Toronto Star
  2. figurativelyTo make quick and substantial spending cuts.

Synonyms & antonyms

nounportable power saw; teeth linked to form an endless chain

Similar
chain saw
Broader
power sawsawsawing machine

Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.

Origin

Compound of chain + saw in reference to the chain-cutting mechanism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Afrikaans kettingsaag
  • kettingsaagsaw with a power-driven chain
Catalan serra de cadena
  • serra de cadenasaw with a power-driven chain
Chinese Cantonese 電鋸 /电锯
  • 電鋸 /电锯 (din⁶ geoi³)saw with a power-driven chain
Chinese Mandarin 電鏈鋸 /电链锯, 電鋸 /电锯
  • 電鏈鋸 /电链锯 (diànliànjù)saw with a power-driven chain
  • 電鋸 /电锯 (diànjù)saw with a power-driven chain
  • 鏈鋸 /链锯 (liànjù)saw with a power-driven chain
Czech řetězová pila
  • řetězová pilasaw with a power-driven chain
Danish kædesav, motorsav
  • kædesavsaw with a power-driven chain
  • motorsavsaw with a power-driven chain
Dutch kettingzaag
  • kettingzaagsaw with a power-driven chain
Esperanto motorsegilo
  • motorsegilosaw with a power-driven chain
Estonian mootorsaag
  • mootorsaagsaw with a power-driven chain
Finnish moottorisaha
  • moottorisahasaw with a power-driven chain
French tronçonneuse, scie à chaîne
  • tronçonneusesaw with a power-driven chain
  • scie à chaînesaw with a power-driven chain
German Kettensäge, Motorsäge
  • Kettensägesaw with a power-driven chain
  • Motorsägesaw with a power-driven chain
  • Motorfuchsschwanzsaw with a power-driven chain
Greek αλυσοπρίονο
  • αλυσοπρίονο (alysopríono)saw with a power-driven chain
Hungarian láncfűrész, druzsba
  • láncfűrészsaw with a power-driven chain
  • druzsbasaw with a power-driven chain
Icelandic keðjusög
  • keðjusögsaw with a power-driven chain
Indonesian gergaji rantai, gergaji listrik
  • gergaji rantaisaw with a power-driven chain
  • gergaji listriksaw with a power-driven chain
  • gergaji mesinsaw with a power-driven chain
Italian motosega
  • motosegasaw with a power-driven chain
Japanese チェーンソー, 鎖鋸
  • チェーンソー (chēnsō)saw with a power-driven chain
  • 鎖鋸 (kusarinoko)saw with a power-driven chain
Korean 체인톱, 사슬톱
  • 체인톱 (cheintop)saw with a power-driven chain
  • 사슬톱 (saseultop)saw with a power-driven chain
  • 전기톱 (jeon'gitop)saw with a power-driven chain
Latvian motorzāģis
  • motorzāģissaw with a power-driven chain
Norwegian Bokmål motorsag
  • motorsagsaw with a power-driven chain
Polish piła łańcuchowa, pilarka łańcuchowa
  • piła łańcuchowasaw with a power-driven chain
  • pilarka łańcuchowasaw with a power-driven chain
Portuguese motosserra, motoserrote
  • motosserrasaw with a power-driven chain
  • motoserrotesaw with a power-driven chain
  • eletrosserrasaw with a power-driven chain
Romanian ferăstrău, fierăstrău
  • ferăstrăusaw with a power-driven chain
  • fierăstrăusaw with a power-driven chain
  • drujbăsaw with a power-driven chain
Russian бензопила́, цепна́я пила́
  • бензопила́ (benzopilá)saw with a power-driven chain
  • цепна́я пила́ (cepnája pilá)saw with a power-driven chain
Slovak reťazová píla
  • reťazová pílasaw with a power-driven chain
Spanish motosierra, sierra eléctrica
  • motosierrasaw with a power-driven chain
  • sierra eléctricasaw with a power-driven chain
  • sierra de cadenasaw with a power-driven chain
  • motoserruchosaw with a power-driven chain
  • tronzadorasaw with a power-driven chain
Swahili msumeno wa mnyororo
  • msumeno wa mnyororosaw with a power-driven chain
Swedish motorsåg
  • motorsågsaw with a power-driven chain
Thai เลื่อยยนต์
  • เลื่อยยนต์ (lʉ̂ai-yon)saw with a power-driven chain
Turkish motorlu testere, zincirli testere
  • motorlu testeresaw with a power-driven chain
  • zincirli testeresaw with a power-driven chain
  • hızarsaw with a power-driven chain
Ukrainian бензопила́
  • бензопила́ (benzopylá)saw with a power-driven chain
Vietnamese cưa máy, máy cưa xích
  • cưa máysaw with a power-driven chain
  • máy cưa xíchsaw with a power-driven chain
Welsh llif gadwyn
  • llif gadwynsaw with a power-driven chain
Zulu isaha
  • isahasaw with a power-driven chain
Cite this entry
APA

chainsaw. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chainsaw

MLA

“chainsaw.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chainsaw. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “chainsaw,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/chainsaw.

Source: chainsaw on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.