kerf
UK[kɜːf]US[kɜːrf]
n
A slit or notch made by a saw or cutting tool.
n
The material (such as wood or metal) removed by a cutting tool, such as a saw blade.
Etymology
The word 'kerf' has a direct and ancient lineage from the Old English noun 'cyrf', meaning 'a cutting' or 'the act of cutting'. This Old English term is itself derived from the verb 'ceorfan', meaning 'to cut', which has cognates in other Germanic languages like Old High German 'kerban' (to notch). The core semantic concept of making an incision or a cut has remained remarkably stable for over a millennium. Its modern, specialized usage in woodworking and metalworking to denote the slit made by a saw or the waste material removed perfectly preserves this original sense of a cut or incision.
Analysis
The word is a simplex, derived as a whole from Old English.
Examples
The thin kerf of the new saw blade results in less wasted wood.
He carefully blew the sawdust and kerf out of the cut.
The width of the kerf must be accounted for when making precise measurements.