Word
sawn
UK/sˈɔːn/
Definition
v. to have cut wood or other material with a saw. You use it with 'have', as in 'have sawn'.
v. the past participle of 'saw'; refers to having cut material with a toothed saw.
Examples
“He has sawn the wood into small pieces.”
“The carpenter has sawn the oak boards to size for the new shelves.”
“The timber merchant explained that freshly sawn oak must season for months before it can be planed into furniture.”
Examples
simple
“He has sawn the wood into small pieces.”
contextual
“The carpenter has sawn the oak boards to size for the new shelves.”
complex
“The timber merchant explained that freshly sawn oak must season for months before it can be planed into furniture.”
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “sawn” in context.
Verb
01. get sawn
“We will get sawn boards from the local mill.”
verb + verb
02. have sawn
“We have sawn all the branches for winter firewood.”
aux + verb
03. sawn in half
“They have sawn the old beam in half for firewood.”
verb + prep + noun
04. sawn off
“He has sawn off the extra branch from the tree.”
verb + particle
05. sawn through
“She has almost sawn through the thick plank.”
verb + prep
Adjective
06. sawn timber
“They have sawn timber for the new garden fence.”
adj + noun
07. sawn wood
“We have sawn wood to repair the old shed.”
adj + noun
Noun
08. sawn to size
“They have sawn the boards to size for the floor.”
verb + prep + noun
09. have freshly sawn planks
“They have freshly sawn planks ready for building.”
10. have sawn logs in half
“We have sawn logs in half to use as garden benches.”
11. have sawn through oak
“He has sawn through oak to make the table legs.”
12. have sawn timber to size
“The carpenter has sawn timber to size for the new deck.”
Usage
Past participle of 'saw'; 'sawn' is standard in British English, while American English often uses 'sawed'.
Pitfall
I have saw the wood
I have sawn the wood
Perfect tenses require the past participle 'sawn', not the past simple 'saw'.
Real-World Examples
“A statue of colonist John Batman, a founder of the country's second-largest city and who was involved in the killing of Indigenous people, was sawn in half, while a monument commemorating Australian soldiers in World War One was daubed in red paint and the words "land back", according to police and local media reports.” Etymology
Morphologically saw + -n.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Occasional
- Level
- B2 · Upper Intermediate
- Updated
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