jigsaw
jigsaw — noun
- jigsawsingular
- jigsawsplural
1. a flat board divided into a large number of oddly shaped cardboard or wooden sec
a flat board divided into a large number of oddly shaped cardboard or wooden sections that must be fitted back together to show the original picture
Renata spent the whole rainy afternoon finishing a 500-piece jigsaw of a mountain lake.
collocation: 'piece' + jigsaw to indicate size
The children spread all the jigsaw pieces across the living room floor.
countable noun + plural 'pieces'
Grandma said that doing a jigsaw every morning helps keep her mind sharp.
We bought a colourful jigsaw of the solar system for our son's birthday.
Karim nearly lost one jigsaw piece under the sofa and thought the puzzle would never be complete.
- puzzle
a more general term that includes jigsaws, word puzzles, and logic problems
- jigsaw puzzle
the full name for this kind of picture puzzle; slightly more formal than 'jigsaw' alone
用法筆記
Countable noun. When people talk about the activity rather than the physical object, they often use the word as an uncountable noun: 'I love doing jigsaw on holiday.' The full name 'jigsaw puzzle' is also very common, especially in American English.
常見錯誤
2. a confusing or difficult situation that you can only understand by collecting an
a confusing or difficult situation that you can only understand by collecting and connecting many separate pieces of information or evidence
The detective studied the clues carefully, trying to solve the jigsaw of the missing painting.
figurative use: 'solve the jigsaw of [mystery]'
Each new email from the client added another piece to the financial jigsaw.
metaphor: 'piece of the jigsaw' for part of a larger problem
For historians, the old letters are important pieces of a much bigger historical jigsaw.
Putri realised that the missing data was the final piece of the jigsaw that explained the machine's failure.
The jigsaw of how the ancient civilisation collapsed has puzzled researchers for decades.
用法筆記
Almost always used in the singular. The most common pattern is 'piece(s) of the jigsaw' or 'the jigsaw of [something]'. Distinguish from noun sense 1, which refers to a physical puzzle: this sense is always metaphorical.
常見錯誤
3. an electric handheld saw whose thin metal blade moves rapidly up and down so tha
an electric handheld saw whose thin metal blade moves rapidly up and down so that the user can follow curved or wavy lines across flat surfaces such as wood, sheet metal, or plastic
Caleb used a jigsaw to cut a heart shape out of plywood for his bookshelf.
jigsaw + 'cut [shape] out of [material]'
The carpenter switched to a finer blade on her jigsaw to make a smoother curve.
A jigsaw is the best tool for cutting circles and wavy lines in a wooden board.
Abigail clamped the wooden board to her workbench before cutting a wavy line with the jigsaw.
Gabriel borrowed a heavy-duty jigsaw from his neighbour to cut the metal pipe.
- scroll saw
a similar tool, often used for finer, more detailed work; terms are sometimes used interchangeably
- saber saw
another name for the same tool, more common in American English
用法筆記
Countable noun. Frequently modified by adjectives that describe the power or type: 'electric jigsaw', 'cordless jigsaw', 'heavy-duty jigsaw'. The blade is referred to as a 'jigsaw blade'. This tool is sometimes called a 'scroll saw' in older sources.
常見錯誤
jigsaw — verb
- jigsawpresent simple I / you / we / they
- jigsaws3rd person singular
- jigsawing-ing form
- jigsawedpast simple
1. to cut a shape, pattern, or opening in a hard material such as wood or metal usi
to cut a shape, pattern, or opening in a hard material such as wood or metal using a jigsaw tool
Eleni carefully jigsawed a fish shape out of a leftover piece of pine.
jigsaw + shape + out of + material pattern
The letters on the garden sign had been jigsawed by hand with impressive accuracy.
passive: 'be jigsawed'
Mizuki jigsawed a circular hole in the countertop for the new kitchen sink.
The carpenter jigsawed the decorative pattern along the edge of the wooden shelf.
文法句型
jigsaw + object
jigsaw + object + out of + material
be jigsawed
用法筆記
Rarely used in everyday conversation; more common in written instructions, DIY magazines, and specialised woodworking contexts. The passive form ('was jigsawed') is particularly frequent when describing the finished product rather than the action itself.
常見錯誤
2. to fit or place things together in an intricate way so that they connect closely
to fit or place things together in an intricate way so that they connect closely like the pieces of a jigsaw puzzle
The archaeological fragments were jigsawed together to reveal the original pottery design.
passive: 'be jigsawed together'
The architect jigsawed the rooms of the house so that every corner had natural light.
The neighbourhood's narrow streets are jigsawed into a layout that dates back to the Middle Ages.
The editor jigsawed the different reporters' articles into a single, smooth story.
- interlock
similar meaning but does not carry the 'puzzle-piece' imagery as strongly
- fit together
a more common, everyday expression for the same idea
- mesh
suggests parts working smoothly together, often of systems or gears
- separate
opposite action — taking apart rather than fitting together
文法句型
be jigsawed together
be jigsawed into
用法筆記
Almost always appears in the passive voice or as a past participle adjective ('jigsawed'). This is the most literary sense of the word and is typically used to create a vivid image of careful, interlocking arrangement.
jigsaw — adjective
- jigsawpositive
- more jigsawcomparative
- most jigsawsuperlative
1. having the quality or appearance of a jigsaw puzzle, with separate pieces that f
having the quality or appearance of a jigsaw puzzle, with separate pieces that fit together to form a complete structure or pattern
The artist created a jigsaw mural by painting on separate wooden tiles and then assembling them.
jigsaw + noun (mural)
The company uses a jigsaw system of interlocking modules that customers can rearrange.
Shanti admired the jigsaw pattern of the tiled floor in the old library.
The map of the region showed a jigsaw arrangement of different coloured counties.
A jigsaw layout of farmland and forest stretches across the valley from the viewpoint.
- puzzle-like
a more literal synonym; less common than 'jigsaw' used adjectivally
- interlocking
focuses on how the pieces connect rather than the puzzle-like appearance
文法句型
jigsaw + noun
用法筆記
Used only before a noun (attributive position — 'jigsaw pattern', 'jigsaw layout'). It is not used predicatively (e.g. 'the pattern is jigsaw'). The adjective functions like 'puzzle-like' but is more concise.