Other forms: kerfs
When you use a saw on a piece of wood, the kerf is the width of the cut you make. Blades for power saws are often sold by kerf width too.
For woodworkers, kerf is a very important measurement, allowing them to precisely line up the parts of a wooden cabinet or table. If the kerf is wider than expected, which can happen because of a wide blade, a wobbly saw, or a particular set of the blade's sharp teeth, a wood project won't come out right. Wider kerfs are also seen as wasteful, turning perfectly good wood into sawdust. Kerf derives from the Old English cyrf, "a cutting."