Sawfish
/ˈsɔːˌfɪʃ/noun
Any of several large rays with a long, saw-like snout edged with teeth.
Did you know?The “saw” in sawfish is the same Old English word behind tools like saw and sawyer, while the animal’s terrifying blade-like snout made the name a straightforward, visceral description rather than a myth.
Etymological Timeline
Old English
OE
saga
“a cutting tool with teeth for ripping wood”
Middle English
ME
saw(e)
“a toothed cutting tool”
Middle English
ME
fish
“a fish”
16th Century
English
saw-fish
“a fish named for its saw-like snout”
Modern English
English
sawfish
“the common name for a ray with a long toothed rostrum”