Chain saw or chainsaw?
chain saw is a noun meaning “Alternative spelling of chainsaw”; chainsaw is a noun meaning “A power saw that has a power-driven and fast-revolving chain of metal teeth…”. Wiktionary gives them as spellings of the same word. chain saw is written as two words and chainsaw as one word; they are used differently.
What is the difference between chain saw and chainsaw?
| chain saw | chainsaw | |
|---|---|---|
| Part of speech | noun | noun, verb |
| Meaning | Alternative spelling of chainsaw | A power saw that has a power-driven and fast-revolving chain of metal teeth, usually used to cut trees To cut with a chainsaw To make quick and substantial spending cuts |
| Example | none recorded | He used a chainsaw to cut through the fallen tree on the roadway |
| Forms | none | chainsaws |
| Pronunciation | not recorded | /ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɔː/ /ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɔ/ /ˈt͡ʃeɪnˌsɑ/ |
| In writing | not counted (the list counts single words) | 1.6 times per million words |
Sources: chain saw and chainsaw in the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
Every current meaning of chain saw and chainsaw
chain saw
- 1
Alternative spelling of chainsaw
chainsaw
- 1
A power saw that has a power-driven and fast-revolving chain of metal teeth, usually used to cut trees
He used a chainsaw to cut through the fallen tree on the roadway
- 2
To cut with a chainsaw
- 3
To make quick and substantial spending cuts
Source: the English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0); obsolete, archaic, dialect and rare senses left out.
Which is more common, chain saw or chainsaw?
chain saw is a phrase, which the list of single words does not count; chainsaw 1.6 times per million words.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).