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.
Before “jigsaw puzzle” meant cardboard fun, it literally meant a picture cut apart with a jigsaw. The tool came first; the rainy-day activity came later. Now the puzzle has become so dominant that many people don’t realize it’s named after a power tool.
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