# Sawyer

/ˈsɔɪɝ/ (US) · /sˈɔɪɐ/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/sawyer
Updated: 2026-08-15

## Senses

### 1. woodcutter

noun · CEFR C2 · Archaic

a person whose job is to saw wood, especially in the past.

For teachers: a person who saws timber as an occupation, historically associated with manual labour in a sawpit.

- The old sawyer spent his days cutting large logs into planks for the village.
- Before the advent of industrial mills, the sawyer was a vital figure in the local economy, responsible for the arduous task of hand-sawing timber.

Usage: Often used in historical or literary contexts to describe traditional woodcraft.

### 2. river hazard

noun · CEFR C2 · American English · Dialect

a large tree trunk stuck in a river that moves up and down with the water.

For teachers: a fallen tree trunk lodged in a riverbed with its branches bobbing on the surface, posing a danger to boats.

- The boat captain had to watch out for a sawyer hidden just below the water.
- The pilot navigated the steamboat with extreme caution, scanning the muddy surface for the rhythmic dip of a sawyer that could pierce the hull.

Teaching tip: This sense is specific to North American river navigation and is famously used in 19th-century American literature.

## Examples

- The sawyer cut the large tree into small pieces.
- The local sawyer prepared the wood for the new house.
- In the early days of the settlement, the sawyer was a vital figure, transforming the dense forest into usable timber for construction.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.