2. A saying; a proverb; a maxim.
His champions are the prophets and apostles, His
weapons holy saws of sacred writ. --Shak.
3. Dictate; command; decree. [Obs.]
[Love] rules the creatures by his powerful saw.
--Spenser.
Note: Saw is frequently used adjectively, or as the first
part of a compound.
{Band saw}, {Crosscut saw}, etc. See under {Band},
{Crosscut}, etc.
{Circular saw}, a disk of steel with saw teeth upon its
periphery, and revolved on an arbor.
{Saw bench}, a bench or table with a flat top for for sawing,
especially with a circular saw which projects above the
table.
{Saw file}, a three-cornered file, such as is used for
sharpening saw teeth.
{Saw frame}, the frame or sash in a sawmill, in which the
saw, or gang of saws, is held.
{Saw gin}, the form of cotton gin invented by Eli Whitney, in
which the cotton fibers are drawn, by the teeth of a set
of revolving circular saws, through a wire grating which
is too fine for the seeds to pass.
{Saw grass} (Bot.), any one of certain cyperaceous plants
having the edges of the leaves set with minute sharp
teeth, especially the {Cladium Mariscus} of Europe, and
the {Cladium effusum} of the Southern United States. Cf.
{Razor grass}, under {Razor}.
{Saw log}, a log of suitable size for sawing into lumber.
{Saw mandrel}, a mandrel on which a circular saw is fastened
for running.
{Saw pit}, a pit over which timbor is sawed by two men, one
standing below the timber and the other above. --Mortimer.
{Saw sharpener} (Zo["o]l.), the great titmouse; -- so named
from its harsh call note. [Prov. Eng.]
{Saw whetter} (Zo["o]l.), the marsh titmouse ({Parus
palustris}); -- so named from its call note. [Prov. Eng.]
2. To cut, as a saw; as, the saw or mill saws fast.
3. To be cut with a saw; as, the timber saws smoothly.
2. To form by cutting with a saw; as, to saw boards or
planks, that is, to saw logs or timber into boards or
planks; to saw shingles; to saw out a panel.
3. Also used figuratively; as, to saw the air.
I will new turn aside, and see this great sight.
--Ex. iii. 3.
2. To perceive by mental vision; to form an idea or
conception of; to note with the mind; to observe; to
discern; to distinguish; to understand; to comprehend; to
ascertain.
Go, I pray thee, see whether it be well with thy
brethren. --Gen. xxxvii.
14.
Jesus saw that he answered discreetly. --Mark xii.
34.
Who 's so gross That seeth not this palpable device?
--Shak.
3. To follow with the eyes, or as with the eyes; to watch; to
regard attentivelly; to look after. --Shak.
I had a mind to see him out, and therefore did not
care for centradicting him. --Addison.
4. To have an interview with; especially, to make a call
upon; to visit; as, to go to see a friend.
And Samuel came no more to see Saul untill the day
of his death. --1 Sam. xv.
35.
5. To fall in with; to have intercourse or communication
with; hence, to have knowledge or experience of; as, to
see military service.
Make us glad according to the days wherein thou hast
afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen
evil. --Ps. xc. 15.
Verily, verily, I say unto you, if a man keep my
saying, he shall never see death. --John viii.
51.
Improvement in visdom and prudence by seeing men.
--Locke.
6. To accompany in person; to escort; to wait upon; as, to
see one home; to see one aboard the cars.
{God you} ({him, or me}, etc.) {see}, God keep you (him, me,
etc.) in his sight; God protect you. [Obs.] --Chaucer.
{To see} (anything) {out}, to see (it) to the end; to be
present at, or attend, to the end.
{To see stars}, to see flashes of light, like stars; --
sometimes the result of concussion of the head. [Colloq.]
{To see (one) through}, to help, watch, or guard (one) to the
end of a course or an undertaking.