Dictionary.com

Popular Searches

 Thesaurus.com
Synonyms

jigsaw

American  
[jig-saw] / ˈdʒɪgˌsɔ /

noun

  1. Also jig saw an electric machine saw with a narrow blade mounted vertically in a frame, for cutting curves or other difficult lines or patterns.

verb (used with object)

jigsawed, jigsawed, jigsawn, jigsawing

  1. to cut or form with a jigsaw.

adjective

  1. formed by or as if by a jigsaw.

    jigsaw ornamentation.
jigsaw British  
/ ˈdʒɪɡˌsɔː /

noun

  1. a mechanical saw with a fine steel blade for cutting intricate curves in sheets of material

  2. See jigsaw puzzle

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of jigsaw

First recorded in 1870–75; jig 2 + saw 1

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Gibraltar was not covered by the UK's 2021 trade deal with the EU, and the UK has previously described it as the "last piece of the EU exit jigsaw".

From BBC

The signing of Newey in September 2024 seemed to be the final piece of the jigsaw the Canadian billionaire was creating to turn his team into championship contenders.

From BBC

But it would take Cunnah another 34 years to put the final piece of the jigsaw together and trace his biological father.

From BBC

Chip had sat down at the computer and was manipulating the images, piecing several photos together like a jigsaw puzzle.

From Literature

Running fast was just one piece of the jigsaw for Coventry-born Fearon, as he was trying to make ends meet, juggling between work and bobsleigh training.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.