buzzsaw

In real, traceable use. Part of the curated seed collection; community review is coming.

Sense 1

Meaning · English

Someone or something that makes a loud, harsh, grinding or rasping noise, like that of a circular saw.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

No danger of these buzzsaws waking up, it was enough to make you wish for impaired hearing.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

The MG 42 general-purpose machine gun.

Register: slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

A violently destructive attack.

Register: slang

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “buzzsaw” mean?

Someone or something that makes a loud, harsh, grinding or rasping noise, like that of a circular saw.

Is “buzzsaw” formal or informal?

buzzsaw is generally slang.