Swarf
Pronunciation
- Rhymes: -É”Ë(r)f
Origin
1565, from Middle English *swerf, from Old English geswearf, gesweorf; akin to Old English sweorfan (modern English swerve),
Merriam Webster Online
from Proto-Germanic.
Full definition of swarf
Noun
swarf
(uncountable)- the waste chips or shavings from metalworking or a saw cutting wood
- the grit worn away by use of a grindstone or whetstone, being particles of the material being cut and of the cutting stone itself
Usage notes
Infrequently used after the 19th century; primarily in technical settings.