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sawtoothed

Sawtoothed is an adjective describing a margin or profile that features sharp projections resembling the teeth of a saw. The term is applied to surfaces in nature and geography where edges are not smooth but are crenate with pointed teeth that alternate along the edge. In botany, sawtoothed margins occur on certain leaves where each tooth has a pointed tip and an acute angle, giving a jagged overall appearance. In geology and geomorphology, sawtoothed coastlines or ridges describe profiles formed by differential erosion that produce a series of high points and gaps, creating a jagged silhouette against the horizon. In paleontology and malacology, some shells or tooth-like structures may be described as sawtoothed when their ornamentation consists of raised, tooth-shaped elements.

The word derives from saw and toothed, and is often used interchangeably with serrate or dentate in

See also: serrate, dentate, serration, sawtooth.

non-technical
writing,
though
sawtoothed
tends
to
imply
larger,
more
evenly
spaced
teeth.
The
term
can
also
appear
in
discussions
of
geological
and
biological
morphology
to
convey
a
pronounced,
regular
tooth-like
pattern
along
an
edge
or
boundary.