I’d probably have said “no such word”, but I read it when reading up on knife sharpening. It has 2 meanings: a faint or to faint, swoon, and the particles or detritus left from grinding. So an axle leaves swarf, honing a knife or grinding or machining metal or wood leave swarf. It may be called other things such as sawdust, filings, etc. Who knew?
Pat’s Polemics
On-going brilliance
