What does serrated mean?
Word: Serrated
Part of Speech: Adjective
Meaning: Serrated means having a row of small sharp points along the edge.
How do you spell serrated?
Syllables: ser - rat - ed
Tricky part: The r is doubled, and pupils often write it once.
Watch out for: serated, searrated, seerated
Memory tip: Run a finger along the edge and feel it go rr, rr, rr: that is your double letter.
Serrated in a sentence
Example 1: A postage stamp often has a neatly serrated border.
Example 2: The tailor's special scissors leave a serrated edge on the cloth.
Example 3: Kiran pressed a serrated leaf into her nature notebook.
Fun Fact
Latin serra meant a saw. Spanish sierra, used for a mountain range whose peaks look like saw teeth, comes from the same word.
Practise the CREST Way
Spell-o-Spell
Only one word in the list is correct. Choose the meaning of that word.
1. undulatting 2. serrated 3. perforrated 4. corugated
a) having a row of small holes in it
b) moving or shaped in gentle waves
c) shaped into a series of folds
d) finished with saw-like notches along one side
Show answer
d) finished with saw-like notches along one side. Perforated has one r, corrugated has two, and undulating has one t.
Word Cookie
Insert the correct three letters to form a word:
s_rr_t_d
a) e, e, e
b) e, a, e
c) e, a, i
d) a, a, e
Show answer
b) e, a, e. The word opens like serve, the middle has the long a of late, and the past ending follows.
Word Cookie
Find the misspelt word in the sentence:
The leaves of the neem tree have finely serratted edges that catch the morning light as the breeze moves through the branches.
a) serratted
b) morning
c) leaves
d) branches
Show answer
a) serratted. After the long a sound comes a single t, as in the word rated.
Word Connection
Choose the antonym of the word serrated as used in the sentence:
Look closely and you will see that a rose leaf has a serrated edge.
a) jagged
b) toothed
c) notched
d) smooth
Show answer
d) smooth. Three choices describe a rough edge; the opposite has no points at all.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Which of these is most likely to have a serrated edge?
a) the rim of a white dinner plate
b) the cover of a school notebook
c) the side of a round glass marble
d) the cutting strip on a roll of cling film
Show answer
d) the cutting strip on a roll of cling film
2. An artist draws a leaf with a serrated margin. What will its outline look like?
a) a zigzag line running all the way round
b) a straight line drawn from tip to base
c) one smooth oval curve from base to tip
d) a perfect circle with no breaks in it
Show answer
a) a zigzag line running all the way round
