serrated

UK/səˈɹeɪtɪd/

adjectiveB2+Rare in speech; mostly a word you read · #12,542 of 15,258leans written

Serrated means having a row of small teeth along the edge. A serrated knife, serrated leaves, serrated edges.

A serrated blade cuts by sawing rather than by pressing, which is why it works on bread and tomatoes and why it cannot be sharpened at home. In botany a serrated leaf has teeth pointing forwards, and the shape helps identify a species.

Definitions of serrated

1adjectiveserratedHaving a row of small teeth along the edge.B2+
“Use a serrated knife to cut the fresh bread without squashing it.”

serrated is a quality of edge.

Where it comes from

From serrate, from Latin serratus, saw-shaped, from serra, a saw.

Past participle of serrate.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in Dinosaurs & Prehistory

Practise this word

serrated in the wild

The serrated blade that originated in prehistoric sickles still dominates in the reaping of grain and is even found in modern grain-harvesting machines and in some kitchen knives.
Sickle
The serrated blades of bread knives are able to cut soft bread without crushing it.
Bread knife
A serrated cutting edge has many small points of contact with the material being cut.
Serration
A tomato knife is a small serrated kitchen knife designed to slice through tomatoes.
Tomato knife
Bread knives and some steak knives are similarly serrated.
Tomato knife

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

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