cut Hear it!

cut Definition

cut (kut)

transitive verb cut, cut′·ting

Etymology: ME cutten, kytten < Late OE *cyttan < Scand base seen in Swed dial., Ice kuta, to cut with a knife: the word replaced OE ceorfan (see carve), snithan, scieran (see shear) as used in its basic senses

intransitive verb

  1. to do the work of a sharp-edged instrument; pierce, sever, gash, etc.
  2. to do cutting; work as a cutter
  3. to take cutting; be severed, etc. pine cuts easily
  4. to use an instrument that cuts
  5. to cause pain by or as by sharp, piercing, or lashing strokes the wind cut through his thin clothes
  6. Informal to swing a bat, club, etc. at a ball
  7. to change direction suddenly, as while running
  8. to move swiftly
  9. Film, TV, etc.
    1. to make a sudden change, as from one scene or character to another
    2. to end the filming or taping of a scene, as by shouting a command (cut!) or giving a sign

adjective

  1. that has been cut
  2. made, formed, or decorated by cutting
  3. reduced; lessened
  4. castrated
  5. Bot. having an indented edge; incised, as some leaves or petals

noun

  1. a cutting or being cut
  2. a stroke or blow with a sharp-edged instrument, whip, etc.
    1. Informal a swing taken at a ball
    2. spin imparted to a ball, as by hitting the lower side of it
  4. an opening, incision, wound, etc. made by a sharp-edged instrument
    1. the omission of a part
    2. the part omitted
  6. a piece or part cut off or out; specif.,
    1. any of the segments of the carcass of a meat animal
    2. a slice from such a segment
  7. the edge or outline of something cut
  8. ☆
    1. the amount cut, as of timber
    2. a reduction; lessening; decrease
  9. shortcut
  10. a passage or channel cut or dug out or worn away
  11. the style in which a thing is cut; fashion; form a stylish cut
  12. an act, remark, etc. that hurts one's feelings
    1. a block or plate engraved for printing, or the impression made from it
    2. a printed picture, as in a newspaper, book, etc.

  14. Etymology: < ? Welsh cwt, lot

    one of the bits of straw, stick, paper, etc. used in drawing lots to decide something
  15. Informal the act of snubbing or ignoring
  16. ☆ Informal an unauthorized absence from school, etc.
  17. ☆ Informal a share, as of profits or loot
  18. ☆ Informal a band () on a phonograph record
  19. Film
    1. a sudden change from one image to another
    2. an assembled version of a movie a rough cut, final cut, etc.

cut Idioms

a cut above

Informal somewhat better than

cut across

to take a shorter course by going straight across as in a diagonal direction

cut a deal

☆ Slang

to reach an agreement; make a bargain

cut a figure

  1. to attract attention
  2. to make a (specified kind of) showing or impression

cut and dried

  1. prepared or arranged beforehand; routine
  2. lifeless; dull; boring

cut and run

Etymology: from the earlier naval phrase meaning “to cut the anchor cable and set sail immediately”

to leave in haste

cut back

  1. to make shorter by cutting off the end
  2. to reduce, decrease, or discontinue (production, personnel, etc.)
  3. ☆ to go back to earlier narrative events, as in a novel or film
  4. ☆ to change direction suddenly, as in football

cut dead

Informal to snub completely

cut down

  1. to cause to fall by cutting; fell
  2. to kill, as by shooting
  3. to reduce; lessen
  4. Informal to humiliate, humble, etc. by criticizing sharply

cut down to size

Informal to reduce the prestige or importance of

cut in

    1. to move in suddenly, as into a small opening in a lane of traffic
    2. to move into another's place don't cut in line
  2. to join in suddenly; break in on; interrupt
  3. ☆ to interrupt a couple dancing in order to dance with one of them
  4. to blend (shortening) into flour, etc. as with a knife
  5. to put or bring in; introduce
  6. to make a connection, as into an electrical circuit
  7. Informal to give a share to

cut it

Informal to do or perform satisfactorily or successfully

cut it fine

Informal
  1. to make exact calculations
  2. to make exact distinctions

cut it out

Informal to stop doing what one is doing

cut loose

☆ Informal to act or speak without self-control

cut no ice

☆

Informal to make no impression

cut off

  1. to separate from other parts by cutting; sever
  2. to stop abruptly
  3. to shut off
  4. to break in on; interrupt
  5. to intercept
  6. to disinherit

cut out

  1. to remove by cutting
  2. to leave or take out; remove; omit; eliminate
  3. Informal to eliminate and take the place of (a rival)
  4. to make or form by or as by cutting
  5. Informal to stop running: said of an engine
  6. ☆ Informal to discontinue; stop
  7. Informal fit or suited by nature
  8. Slang to leave abruptly

cut short

to stop abruptly before the end

cut one's teeth on

to learn or use at an early age

cut through

  1. to penetrate or go through by cutting
  2. to go straight through

cut to the chase

☆

Etymology: < cut, , with reference to a scene involving a chase, as in a crime film

Informal to go directly to the essential element, without further preliminaries, delay, etc.

cut up

  1. to cut into pieces
  2. to inflict cuts or lacerations on
  3. Informal
    1. to criticize harshly
    2. to cause to be dejected or distressed
  4. ☆ Slang to clown, joke, etc. to attract attention

make the cut

☆ Informal

to avoid elimination, as in a golf tournament

cut Synonyms

cut

modif.

  1. Formed by cutting

    carved, chiseled, sculptured, sliced; see carved, formed.

  2. Reduced

    lowered, marked down, diluted; see impure 1, reduced 2, watered 2.

  3. Severed

    split, divided, sliced through, detached; see separated.

  4. Slashed

    slit, scored, gashed, scratched; see carved, hurt, wounded.

  5. Abridged

    shortened, abbreviated, truncated, edited; see reduced 1.

cut Synonyms

cut

n.

  1. The using of a sharp instrument

    slash, thrust, dig, prick, gouge, knifing, penetrating, dividing, cleaving, incising, separation, severance, hewing, felling, quarter, intersecting, slitting, hack, slice, carve, chop, stroke; see also division 1.

  2. The path left by a sharp instrument

    slash, prick, incision, wound, cleavage, penetration, gash, cleft, mark, nick, notch, opening, passage, channel, groove, kerf, furrow, intersection, slit, fissure; see also hole 1, injury 1.

  3. A reduction

    decrease, diminution, lessening; see reduction 1.

  4. Shape

    fashion, style, construction; see form 1.

  5. An illustration

    printed picture, engraving, plate; see illustration 2, picture 3.

  6. A section

    segment, slice, portion; see part 1, piece 1, share.

  7. A piece of butchered meat

    piece, slice, chunk; see meat.

  8. *An insult

    offense, affront, snub; see insult, neglect 1.

a cut above*

somewhat better, superior, higher, more capable; see better 1, 2, superior.

cut Synonyms

cut

v.

  1. To sever

    separate, slice, slice through, cleave, fell, hew, chop down, mow, prune, reap, scythe, sickle, shear, trim, dice, chop, slit, split, rive, sunder, cut apart, cut asunder, rip, saw through, chisel, cut away, cut through, cut off, lop off, snip, sliver, chip, quarter, clip, truncate, behead, saber, scissor, facet, flitch, bite, shave, pare, skive, divide, bisect, amputate, carve, hack; see also divide 1, trim 1.

  2. To cut into

    gash, incise, slash, slice, carve, notch, nick, indent, score, carve into, mark, scratch, furrow, rake, wound, mar, scotch, gouge, scarify, lacerate; see also carve 1, mangle 1.

  3. To penetrate

    pierce, perforate, puncture; see penetrate 1.

  4. To cross

    intersect, divide, pass through, move across; see cross 1, divide 1.

  5. To shorten

    curtail, abridge, condense, delete; see cancel 1, decrease 2.

  6. To reduce

    lower, diminish, lessen; see decrease 2.

  7. To hit sharply

    strike, hew, chop, whack; see hit 1.

  8. To castrate

    alter, geld, emasculate; see castrate.

  9. *To ignore deliberately

    snub, slight, disregard; see neglect 1.

  10. *To absent oneself

    shirk, evade, stay away, play truant, play hooky, be absent without leave, be AWOL, sneak out, skip*, duck*; see also leave 1.

  11. To record electronically

    make a record, make a recording, tape; see record 3.

  12. To weaken

    dilute, impair, undermine, dissolve; see adulterate, weaken 2.

  13. To shape

    fashion, cast, make; see form 1.

cut Usage Examples

Object

  • edge: Knife edge: the cutting edge of a knife.
  • emission: Energy saving is often the easiest way to cut carbon emissions.
  • corner: Here God is teaching His children that there are consequences to their actions, that cutting corners here was not good.
  • taxis: During the primaries, Bush had derided Reagan's hallmark pledge to cut taxes while hugely increasing the defense budget as " voodoo economics.
  • cost: It must find ways to cut the costs of using public transport.

Preposition: through

jargon: Andrew Murray states Biblical truths in a simple, yet profound way that cut through theological jargon.

Noun used with modifier

  • tax: They seem ashamed of talking seriously about small government and big tax cuts â the issues for which she was renowned.
  • hair: Hair Salon Verify the effects of a training to allow hair cut by professional hair cutters.
  • throat: I was in hospital for about ten days. During these few days one of the RAF drivers was brought in with his throat cut.

Adjective modifier

short: Short cuts January February March Lecture outlines Monday 9th January: Chapter 1 of the Lecture Notes issued.

Preposition: into

  • cube: Cut into small cubes and sprinkle onto soup just before serving.
  • strip: Garments are generally stripped of added materials such as buttons and zips before being cut into strips to make the wiping cloths.

Modifies a noun

  • diamond: Above it is a top plan of a rose cut diamond inside a ring, suggesting scrutiny of gems by magnification under the lens.
  • flower: The garden was built in the eighteenth century to provide the owners of Panton Hall with fruit, vegetables and cut flowers.

Followed by an intransitive particle

  • off: Part of the blood supply to the brain may then be cut off, which causes a stroke.
  • down: The legislation does not require all hedges to be cut down to a height of two meters.

Followed by a transitive particle

  • off: Did they want to cut off that route of escape?
  • down: Just who is cutting down the young athletes in their prime?

Preposition: with

scissors: How comes it is so straight later on, as if cut with scissors?

Preposition: for

hay: Some of the drier meadows are cut for hay in late summer.