skip-tooth saw: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples

Low
UK/ˈskɪp tuːθ sɔː/US/ˈskɪp tuθ sɑː/

Technical/Professional

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Quick answer

What does “skip-tooth saw” mean?

A saw with teeth spaced widely apart, designed to prevent clogging when cutting green or wet wood.

Audio

Pronunciation

Definition

Meaning and Definition

A saw with teeth spaced widely apart, designed to prevent clogging when cutting green or wet wood.

A specialized cutting tool used primarily in forestry, carpentry, and woodworking for efficient cutting of materials that produce large amounts of debris or sap.

Dialectal Variation

British vs American Usage

Differences

Term is identical in both varieties; more common in American woodworking terminology.

Connotations

Technical tool with no regional connotations.

Frequency

Slightly higher frequency in American English due to larger DIY culture.

Grammar

How to Use “skip-tooth saw” in a Sentence

Use a skip-tooth saw for cuttingThe skip-tooth saw blade needsInstall the skip-tooth saw on

Vocabulary

Collocations

strong
sharpbladechaincutwood
medium
replaceinstallfilemaintainpurchase
weak
heavy-dutyprofessionalrustedefficient

Examples

Examples of “skip-tooth saw” in a Sentence

verb

British English

  • We need to skip-tooth this blade for wet timber.
  • He decided to skip-tooth the old saw.

American English

  • I'm going to skip-tooth my chainsaw for cutting pine.
  • They skip-toothed the blade to prevent pitch buildup.

adverb

British English

  • The teeth were set skip-tooth style.
  • It was filed skip-tooth.

American English

  • Cut skip-tooth for green wood.
  • File it skip-tooth to reduce binding.

adjective

British English

  • The skip-tooth blade performed admirably.
  • This is a skip-tooth design.

American English

  • Get the skip-tooth chain for that job.
  • It's a skip-tooth configuration.

Usage

Meaning in Context

Business

Used in hardware retail descriptions and inventory.

Academic

Appears in forestry and wood technology papers.

Everyday

Rare outside of woodworking enthusiasts.

Technical

Common in tool manuals, woodworking guides, forestry equipment catalogs.

Vocabulary

Synonyms of “skip-tooth saw”

Strong

green wood sawnon-clogging saw

Neutral

widely-spaced tooth sawanti-clog saw

Weak

specialty sawdebris-clearing saw

Vocabulary

Antonyms of “skip-tooth saw”

fine-tooth sawclose-tooth sawregular saw

Watch out

Common Mistakes When Using “skip-tooth saw”

  • Writing as 'skip tooth saw' without hyphen
  • Confusing with 'skip chain' (similar concept for chainsaws).

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

No, a ripsaw is for cutting along the grain, while skip-tooth refers to tooth spacing pattern that can be applied to various saw types.

Generally not recommended; skip-tooth saws leave rougher cuts and are designed for efficiency, not finish quality.

Green (wet) wood, softwoods, plastics, and other materials that produce stringy or gummy debris.

Not necessarily; wear depends on material and use, but fewer teeth can sometimes reduce heat and prolong life in certain applications.

A saw with teeth spaced widely apart, designed to prevent clogging when cutting green or wet wood.

Skip-tooth saw is usually technical/professional in register.

Skip-tooth saw: in British English it is pronounced /ˈskɪp tuːθ sɔː/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˈskɪp tuθ sɑː/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.

Phrases

Idioms & Phrases

  • None

Learning

Memory Aids

Mnemonic

SKIP-TOOTH = teeth SKIP spaces to let debris fall through.

Conceptual Metaphor

GAPPED TEETH FOR CLEARING PATH

Practice

Quiz

Fill in the gap
When cutting fresh timber, you should use a saw to avoid the blade jamming.
Multiple Choice

What is the primary advantage of a skip-tooth saw?

Practise

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skip-tooth saw: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples | Lingvocore