Sawdust
/ˈsɔː.dʌst/noun
Tiny particles or powder produced when wood is cut or sanded.
Did you know?The word is transparently literal: it names the dust made by a saw, and English has used similar blunt compound words for centuries to describe the residue of cutting, grinding, and breaking.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
sagu
“a saw”
Old English
OE
dūst
“dust, powder, fine particles”
Middle English
ME
saw-dust
“dust or fine particles produced by sawing”
14th Century
English
sawdust
“fine wood particles made by sawing”
Modern English
English
sawdust
“the fine powder or shavings produced when wood is cut or sanded”