jigsaw
n. countablen. a puzzle made of many small, oddly shaped pieces that you fit together to make a picture.
n. a puzzle consisting of numerous interlocking pieces which, when assembled, form a complete image.
We spent the whole rainy afternoon finishing a large jigsaw.
The children spread the pieces of the jigsaw across the floor to find all the edge parts first.
Solving the mystery felt like completing a complex jigsaw where the final piece reveals a picture entirely different from what was initially expected.
From jig + saw.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Usage
Often used as a modifier in the compound 'jigsaw puzzle'.
Last updated May 8, 2026