sawyer

noun

saw·​yer ˈsȯ-yər How to pronounce sawyer (audio)
ˈsȯi-ər
1
: one that saws
2
or sawyer beetle : any of several large long-horned beetles whose larvae bore large holes in timber or dead wood especially of various conifers
3
: a tree fast in the bed of a stream with its branches projecting to the surface and bobbing up and down with the current

Example Sentences

Recent Examples on the Web Interfor, one of the pandemic's hottest stocks, is the latest sawyer to announce cutbacks, citing declining wood demand in its decision to reduce fourth-quarter lumber output by 17%. Ryan Dezember, WSJ, 21 Oct. 2022 The cotton-elastane blend stretched well enough for one sawyer to use proper form and wear chainsaw chaps while bucking wood. Charlie Ebbers, Outside Online, 18 Oct. 2022 The year after the Nuttall Fire, West became a sawyer, operating a chainsaw in heavy timber, often on the hot edge of a fire—one of the most dangerous jobs on a hotshot crew. The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2021 The friendships West formed with his sawyer partners were thrillingly close. The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2021 There once was a sawyer who lived in the rainforest. Longreads, 5 Feb. 2021 For those not in the know, a hazel hoe is used to trench and clear the area, while a sawyer is a person trained to down limbs and trees during wildfires. Christina Zdanowicz, CNN, 16 Sep. 2020 ArchitectureWorks worked with the homeowners and a local sawyer to repurpose felled trees from a nearby country club and turn them into full-round posts. al, 14 Apr. 2020 Specialists called sawyers, who chop down trees, wore more, hauling Kevlar chaps and chain saws. Tim Arango, New York Times, 28 Oct. 2019 See More

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'sawyer.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Word History

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of sawyer was in the 13th century

Dictionary Entries Near sawyer

Cite this Entry

“Sawyer.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sawyer. Accessed 27 Mar. 2023.

Kids Definition

sawyer

noun
saw·​yer ˈsȯ-yər How to pronounce sawyer (audio)
ˈsȯi-ər
: a person who saws timber

More from Merriam-Webster on sawyer

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