jigsaw
/ˈdʒɪɡsɔː
/noun
1 (also jigsaw puzzle) A puzzle consisting of a picture printed on cardboard or wood and cut into various pieces of different shapes that have to be fitted together: time is passed by doing jigsaws...
- It is nothing like putting together a jigsaw puzzle, one piece at a time, with little sense of urgency.
- Nine different crews then delivered these parts into space where the giant jigsaw puzzle was pieced together.
- He gets nothing other than the pleasure of putting all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle together.
1.1A mystery that can only be resolved by assembling various pieces of information: help the police put all the pieces of the jigsaw together...
- Narratives were assembled like jigsaws with pieces missing.
- For me, the article is an interesting piece of a jigsaw I'm assembling in my mind.
- They could then be more at ease with themselves afterwards and their information could form a vital piece to complete the jigsaw.
2A machine saw with a fine blade enabling it to cut curved lines in a sheet of wood, metal, or plastic.He needs a variety of power tools, drills, routers, circular saws, jigsaws and packets of blades....
- Cut the templates by carefully sawing to your lines with a jigsaw or on the band saw, then fair and smooth the curves with a rasp and 150-grit sandpaper.
- There are also certain types of tungsten-tipped circular saw and jigsaw blades available that will work with these products.
Origin
Late 19th century: from the verb jig + the noun saw1.