Definition
The slot or groove cut into a piece of material by a saw blade or other cutting tool. The width of the kerf equals the thickness of material the blade removes as it passes through the work.
Plain English
The narrow slot a saw makes when it cuts through something. It is the small amount of material the blade turns into sawdust as it passes through.
Context Anchor
Seen in aircraft maintenance and fabrication when measuring, marking, and cutting parts or repair materials.
Derivation
From Old English 'cyrf,' meaning a cutting or notch, related to 'carve.' Knowing this helps because it explains why the word refers to the cut itself, not the tool that made it.
Why Pilots Care
When cutting parts to a measured length, the kerf must be accounted for or the finished piece will be short by the width of the blade. In aircraft maintenance, dimensions matter, and ignoring the kerf can ruin stock material.
Intuition Check
Kerf is not just the marked cut line. It is the actual width of material removed by the cutting tool.
Example Sentence 1
When cutting the aluminum stock to length, the technician marked the line on the waste side of the kerf to keep the finished piece on size.
Example Sentence 2
A fine-tooth blade leaves a narrower kerf than a coarse blade, which helps preserve more of the original material during a precision cut.