sawed-off

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

Meaning · English

Short, as though truncated.

Register: slang

Where it’s used: Used American English

Examples

He was a sawed-off runt, just a little guy, but he packed so much attitude into that little package that no one was going to make anything about it.

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).

Common questions

What does “sawed-off” mean?

Short, as though truncated.

Is “sawed-off” formal or informal?

sawed-off is generally slang.