'serration' originates from Latin, specifically the past-participial adjective 'serrātus' (from 'serra'), where 'serra' meant 'saw'.

'serration' came into English via Medieval Latin 'serrātiō' (meaning 'a serration, a notching') and related Romance-language formations, and was adopted into Middle English in forms such as 'serration' with the modern spelling stabilizing later.

Initially it referred directly to a 'sawing' or 'notching' action or the state of being 'saw-toothed'; over time it became used primarily for the physical feature—the toothlike notches or their arrangement—while preserving that original sense.