noun

chainsaw

CHAYN-saw

noun

A portable power saw with a rotating chain of cutting teeth, used mainly for cutting through trees and thick wood.

"He fired up the chainsaw to clear the fallen branches."

"Loggers use chainsaws to fell large trees quickly."

verb

To cut something with a chainsaw, or figuratively, to cut something drastically.

"The new CEO chainsawed the marketing budget in half."

How to Use Chainsaw

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishA powered saw with a cutting chain, or figuratively, to make severe, sweeping cuts (to a budget, staff, etc.).

Common pairings

fire up the chainsaw chainsaw massacre chainsaw budget cuts

chainsawed past tense, chainsawn past tense, chainsaws plural, chainsaws singular

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Can you complete this real example?

He fired up the _____ to clear the fallen branches.

A compound of "chain" and "saw," describing its rotating chain of cutting teeth.