hacksaw
noun, verb
hacksaw is spelled H-A-C-K-S-A-W: 7 letters and 2 syllables. It appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th most frequent word form (wordfreq, 2021 data). As a noun, hacksaw means “A saw, with a blade that is put under tension, for cutting metal” (English Wiktionary, September 2026). The plural of hacksaw is hacksaws.
How many letters and syllables are in hacksaw?
| Letters | 7: H-A-C-K-S-A-W |
|---|---|
| Syllables | 2 (from its American pronunciation) |
| In writing | about once in every 3 million words; the 50,539th most frequent word form |
| Wrong spellings searched | none measured in search |
Sources: letters and syllables from the English Wiktionary's hyphenation or pronunciation and the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary; written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How common is hacksaw?
Hacksaw appears about once in every 3 million words in written English, the 50,539th most frequent word form in the list.
Source: written frequency: wordfreq 3.1 (a 2021 snapshot of Wikipedia, subtitles, news, books, web text and social media).
How do you pronounce hacksaw?
- US
Hacksaw has 2 syllables (counted from its American pronunciation in the CMU Pronouncing Dictionary).
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Recordings: En-us-hacksaw.ogg, Wikimedia Commons (author and licence on each file's page).
Words people confuse with hacksaw
Also written: hack saw (one word or two).
Sources: English Wiktionary (homophones, alternative spellings).
Forms of hacksaw
- hacksaws plural, present, singular, he/she/it
- hack saw
- hacksawing participle, present
- hacksawed past, participle
- hacksawn participle, past
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
What does hacksaw mean?
The meanings the English Wiktionary records, quoted as written there (source below).
noun
- 1
A saw, with a blade that is put under tension, for cutting metal
verb
- 1
To cut with a hacksaw.
This bolt is so rusted I'll have to hacksaw it off.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).
Hacksaw in Spanish, French, German and Portuguese
In the sense saw:
| Language | Words |
|---|---|
| French | scie à métaux |
| German | Bügelsäge |
| Portuguese | arco de serra, segueta |
| Spanish | sierra para metales, sierra, sierra de arco, segueta (marquetry), serrón |
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract). Translations are Wiktionary's, by sense; a linked word has its own PlainSpell page.
Where does hacksaw come from?
From hack + saw. Attested since 1867.
Source: English Wiktionary, dump of September 2, 2026 (CC BY-SA 4.0), through kaikki.org (Wiktextract).