noun
swarf
Swarf (noun) means the small bits of waste material, such as shavings or filings, left over from cutting or grinding metal or wood.
noun
1
The small bits of waste material, such as shavings or filings, left over from cutting or grinding metal or wood.
"As sandpaper is pushed across wood, the abrasive grains dig into the surface and cut out minute shavings, which are called swarf in industry jargon."
— Strother Purdy, Making Sense of Sandpaper (2004)
2
One single shaving or chip of this waste material.
"When the uncut swarf thickness increases beyond the minimum swarf thickness, the elastic deformation phenomena decrease significantly and the entire depth of cut is removed as a swarf as shown in Fig. 9.9c."
— Yoshimi Ito, Mechanisms for Metal Cutting and Grinding (2017)
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Etymology
From Middle English *swarf, *swerf, from Old English ġeswearf, ġesweorf (“iron filings; rust”) and/or Old Norse svarf (“metallic dust”), both from Proto-Germanic *swarbą (“that which is rubbed off; shavings”), from Proto-Germanic *swerbaną (“to mop, wipe; to rub off”); see further at swerve. The word is cognate to Old English sweorfan (“to rub, scour; to file”).
Rhymes for swarf
See all rhymes for swarf →Frequently asked questions
What is the meaning of swarf?
"swarf" (noun) means the small bits of waste material, such as shavings or filings, left over from cutting or grinding metal or wood.
What are the different meanings of swarf?
"swarf" has 2 main meanings: 1. The small bits of waste material, such as shavings or filings, left over from cutting or grinding metal or wood; 2. One single shaving or chip of this waste material.
