A saw with a narrow blade that moves up and down, used to cut curves and shapes in wood or other materials. It also refers to a picture puzzle made of many small, oddly shaped pieces that fit together.
Originally referred to a type of saw used to cut intricate shapes, probably named by analogy to other tools like “gig saw.” The puzzle meaning comes from pictures that were cut into pieces using such a saw. Over time, most people associated “jigsaw” more with puzzles than with the actual tool.
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