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cut
[kuht]
verb (used with object)
to penetrate with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument or object.
He cut his finger.
to divide with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; sever; carve.
She cut the string and opened the package.
to detach with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; separate from the main body; lop off.
Cut me a slice from that loaf of bread.
to hew or saw down; fell.
They were granted a permit to cut timber on that land.
They cut a trench around his house.
to trim by clipping, shearing, paring, or pruning.
I need to get my hair cut soon—it's so long now.
Traditionally, grain was cut by hand with a sickle.
to abridge or shorten; edit by omitting a part or parts.
I have to cut my speech to bring it under the time limit.
Synonyms: curtail, abbreviateto repeatedly inflict injury on (oneself) by deliberately cutting the skin; to self-harm with a sharp-edged object.
to lower, reduce, diminish, or curtail (sometimes followed bydown ).
The store promised to cut prices.
to dilute; make less thick.
In ancient times, wine was often cut with water.
to dissolve.
That detergent cuts grease effectively.
One line cuts another at right angles.
Informal., to cease; discontinue (often followed byout ).
Cut the kidding.
Let's cut out the pretense.
to stop; halt the running of, as a liquid or an engine (often followed byoff ).
The pilot cut the engines and glided in for a landing.
Cut off the hot water.
to dilute or adulterate (a drug) by mixing it with other substances.
to grow (a tooth or teeth) through the gum.
The baby is cutting his teeth.
to type, write, or draw on (a stencil) for mimeographing.
to make or fashion by cutting, as a statue, jewel, or garment.
Glassmaking., to produce a pattern (in glass) by grinding and polishing.
to refuse to recognize socially; shun ostentatiously.
Her friends began to cut her as news of her misfortune spread.
to strike sharply, as with a whip.
to absent oneself from.
We're allowed to cut three classes per semester.
Movies, Television.
to stop (a scene or shot being filmed).
to edit (a film).
Computers., to remove (selected text, images, etc.) from a file to store in temporary memory until pasted elsewhere.
to wound the feelings of severely.
Cards.
to divide (a pack of cards) at random into two or more parts, by removing cards from the top.
to take (a card) from a deck.
to record a selection on (a vinyl record or tape); make a recording of.
Sports., to hit (a ball) with either the hand or some instrument so as to change its course and often to cause it to spin.
Cricket., to strike and send off (a ball) in front of the batsman, and parallel to the wicket.
Slang., to be a nonplaying dealer, manager, or supervisor of (a card game, crap game, or other gambling game) in return for a percentage of the money bet or sometimes for a fee.
verb (used without object)
to penetrate or divide something, as with a sharp-edged instrument; make an incision.
The scissors cut well.
to admit of being cut.
Butter cuts easily.
to repeatedly inflict self-harm by deliberately cutting the skin.
to pass, go, or come, especially in the most direct way (usually followed by across, through, in, etc.).
to cut across an empty lot.
Movies, Television.
to shift suddenly from one shot to another.
Cut to the barroom interior.
to stop the action of a scene: used as a command by a director.
to make a sudden or sharp turn in direction; change direction suddenly; swerve.
We cut to the left to avoid hitting the cyclist.
to strike a person, animal, etc., sharply, as with a whip.
to wound the feelings severely.
His criticism cut deep.
(of the teeth) to grow through the gums.
Computers., to remove selected text, images, etc., from a file for storage in temporary memory until pasted elsewhere.
Cards., to cut the cards.
Informal., to leave hastily.
to cut for the hills.
(of a horse) interfere.
to separate a specific animal from a herd of cattle.
adjective
divided into pieces by cutting; detached by cutting.
The vase was filled with beautiful cut flowers.
fashioned by cutting; having the surface shaped or ornamented by grinding, polishing, or the like.
cut diamonds.
reduced by or as if by cutting: The cut prices came just in time for the holidays.
This cheap cut whiskey tastes watery.
The cut prices came just in time for the holidays.
Slang., having very sculpted muscles and little body fat.
I assume from his cut body that he works out a lot.
Botany., incised; cleft.
castrated; gelded.
Slang., drunk.
noun
the act of cutting; a stroke or a blow, as with a knife, whip, etc.
the result of cutting, as an incision, wound, passage, or channel.
a piece cut off.
a cut of a pie.
Informal., a share, especially of earnings or profits.
His agent's cut is 20 percent.
a haircut, often with a styling.
a reduction in price, salary, etc.
the manner or fashion in which anything is cut.
the cut of a dress.
We need a man of his cut in this firm.
a passage or course straight across or through.
a cut through the woods.
an excision or omission of a part.
a part or quantity of text deleted or omitted.
a quantity cut, especially of lumber.
a refusal to recognize an acquaintance.
an act, speech, etc., that wounds the feelings.
an engraved plate or block of wood used for printing.
a printed picture or illustration.
an absence, as from a school class, at which attendance is required.
Butchering., part of an animal usually cut as one piece.
Cards., a cutting of the cards.
Sports.
the act of cutting a ball.
the spin imparted.
Fencing., a blow with the edge of the blade instead of the tip.
one of several pieces of straw, paper, etc., used in drawing lots.
Movies, Television.
the instantaneous or gradual transition from one shot or scene to another in an edited film.
an edited version of a film.
an act or instance of editing a film.
an individual song, musical piece, or other similar material on a record or tape.
any product of the fractional distillation of petroleum.
Slang., a vest worn by motorcyclists, typically made of leather or sometimes denim, and often decorated with patches, insignias, etc.
verb phrase
cut down
Also cut down on. to lessen; decrease.
to cut down on between-meal snacks.
to strike and cause to fall.
The first force to attempt an advance was swiftly cut down.
to destroy, kill, or disable.
The hurricane cut down everything in its path.
to remodel, remake, or reduce in size, as a garment.
She had her old coat cut down to fit her daughter.
cut across, to precede or go beyond considerations of; transcend.
The new tax program cuts across party lines.
cut off
to intercept.
to interrupt.
to stop suddenly; discontinue.
to halt the operation of; turn off.
to shut off or shut out.
to disinherit.
to sever; separate.
cut in
cut out
to omit; delete; excise.
to oust and replace a rival; supplant.
to part an animal from a herd.
to plan; arrange.
He has his work cut out for him.
to move out of one's lane of traffic.
Slang., Also cut on out. to leave suddenly.
Informal., to refrain from; stop.
to cut out smoking.
(of an engine, machine, etc.) to stop running.
cut up
to cut into pieces or sections.
to lacerate; wound.
to distress mentally; injure.
Informal., to play pranks; misbehave.
They were scolded for cutting up in church.
cut
/ kʌt /
verb
to open up or incise (a person or thing) with a sharp edge or instrument; gash
(of a sharp instrument) to penetrate or incise (a person or thing)
to divide or be divided with or as if with a sharp instrument
cut a slice of bread
(intr) to use a sharp-edged instrument or an instrument that cuts
(tr) to trim or prune by or as if by clipping
to cut hair
(tr) to reap or mow (a crop, grass, etc)
(tr) to geld or castrate
to make, form, or shape by cutting
to cut a suit
(tr) to hollow or dig out; excavate
to cut a tunnel through the mountain
to strike (an object) sharply
(tr) sport to hit (a ball) with a downward slicing stroke so as to impart spin or cause it to fall short
cricket to hit (the ball) to the off side, usually between cover and third man, with a roughly horizontal bat
to hurt or wound the feelings of (a person), esp by malicious speech or action
informal, (tr) to refuse to recognize; snub
informal, (tr) to absent oneself from (an activity, location, etc), esp without permission or in haste
to cut class
(tr) to abridge, shorten, or edit by excising a part or parts
to lower, reduce, or curtail
to cut losses
(tr) to dilute or weaken
heroin that was cut with nontoxic elements
(tr) to dissolve or break up
to cut fat
to cross or traverse
the footpath cuts through the field
(intr) to make a sharp or sudden change in direction; veer
to grow (teeth) through the gums or (of teeth) to appear through the gums
(intr) films
to call a halt to a shooting sequence
(foll by to) to move quickly to another scene
films to edit (film)
(tr) to switch off (a light, car engine, etc)
(tr) (of a performer, recording company, etc) to make (a record or tape of a song, concert, performance, etc)
cards
to divide (the pack) at random into two parts after shuffling
(intr) to pick cards from a spread pack to decide dealer, partners, etc
(tr) to remove (material) from an object by means of a chisel, lathe, etc
(tr) (of a tool) to bite into (an object)
(intr) (of a horse) to injure the leg just above the hoof by a blow from the opposite foot
to skip or jump playfully
to act or behave playfully; frolic
to have both good and bad effects
to affect both sides of something, as two parties in an argument, etc
to behave or dress showily or strikingly; make a stylish impression
informal, to ignore a person completely
to appear or behave well
to appear or behave badly
informal, to make a rapid escape
slang, be successful in doing something
informal, to allow little margin of time, space, etc
to do something in the easiest or shortest way, esp at the expense of high standards
we could finish this project early only if we cut corners
to free or become freed from restraint, custody, anchorage, etc
informal, to fail to make an impression
to give up spending time, money, or energy on an unprofitable or unsuccessful activity
informal
to use at an early age or stage
to practise on
adjective
detached, divided, or separated by cutting
botany incised or divided
cut leaves
made, shaped, or fashioned by cutting
reduced or diminished by or as if by cutting
cut prices
gelded or castrated
weakened or diluted
a slang word for drunk
hurt; resentful
informal, settled or arranged in advance
a sandwich lunch carried from home to work, school, etc
noun
the act of cutting
a stroke or incision made by cutting; gash
a piece or part cut off, esp a section of food cut from the whole
a cut of meat
the edge of anything cut or sliced
a passage, channel, path, etc, cut or hollowed out
an omission or deletion, esp in a text, film, or play
a reduction in price, salary, etc
a decrease in government finance in a particular department or area, usually leading to a reduction of services, staff numbers, etc
short for power cut
a quantity of timber cut during a specific time or operation
informal, a portion or share
informal, a straw, slip of paper, etc, used in drawing lots
the manner or style in which a thing, esp a garment, is cut; fashion
informal, a person's general appearance
I didn't like the cut of him
derogatory, a dirty or untidy condition
look at the cut of your shoes
a direct route; short cut
the US name for block
sport the spin of a cut ball
cricket a stroke made with the bat in a roughly horizontal position
films an immediate transition from one shot to the next, brought about by splicing the two shots together
informal, an individual piece of music on a record; track
words or an action that hurt another person's feelings
a refusal to recognize an acquaintance; snub
informal, an unauthorized absence, esp from a school class
chem a fraction obtained in distillation, as in oil refining
the metal removed in a single pass of a machine tool
the shape of the teeth of a file
their coarseness or fineness
a stretch of water, esp a canal
informal, superior (to); better (than)
golf to better or equal the required score after two rounds in a strokeplay tournament, thus avoiding elimination from the final two rounds
golf to achieve a greater score after the first two rounds of a strokeplay tournament than that required to play in the remaining two rounds
Other Word Forms
- half-cut adjective
- miscut verb miscut, miscutting
- outcut verb (used with object) outcut, outcutting
- recut verb recut, recutting
- well-cut adjective
Word History and Origins
Origin of cut1
Word History and Origins
Origin of cut1
Idioms and Phrases
cut down to size, to reduce the stature or importance of: Also chop down to size
The novelist had a big ego until the critics cut him down to size.
cut out for, fitted for; capable of.
He wasn't cut out for military service.
cut it,
to achieve or maintain a desired level of performance.
The aging football player decided he couldn't cut it any longer and retired.
to be effective or successful; satisfy a need.
a cut above, somewhat superior to another (thing, person, etc.) in some respect.
Her work is a cut above anyone else's.
cut a figure,
to give a certain impression of oneself.
He cut a distinguished figure in his tuxedo.
cut and run,
Nautical. to cut the anchor cable and set sail, as in an emergency.
to leave as hurriedly as possible; flee.
cut it out, to stop doing something.
That hurts! Cut it out!
cut a caper / figure, to perform a spirited, brief, outlandish dance step, especially as a result of euphoria.
cut back,
to shorten by cutting off the end.
to curtail or discontinue.
Steel production has been cut back in recent months.
to return to an earlier episode or event, as in the plot of a novel.
Football. to reverse direction suddenly by moving in the diagonally opposite course.
cut no ice, ice.
cut both ways, to have, produce, or result in advantages as well as disadvantages.
This decision will inevitably cut both ways.
cut the cheese, cheese.
More idioms and phrases containing cut
- (cut) down to size
- fish or cut bait
- have one's work cut out
- like a chicken with its head cut off
- make (cut) a long story short
- unkindest cut
- you could cut it with a knife
Synonym Study
Example Sentences
The country has the highest incidence of skin cancers in the world and it is estimated that two out of three Australians will have at least one cut out in their lifetime.
He pledged "serious" cuts to the benefits bill and made the bold claim that he could "stop the boats within two weeks".
After filing for bankruptcy protection for the second time this year, the low-cost airline is actively seeking to cut flight routes where they are losing money.
The comments cut from the “Face the Nation” appearance were potentially defamatory.
It put an estimated cost of £18bn a year on its various proposed tax cuts on businesses.
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When To Use
Cut is a verb that means to use a sharp tool on something, to stop, or to reduce. The word cut has many other senses as a verb, adjective, and noun.To cut something is to use a sharp tool to chop, sever, slice, or divide something. Cut has several different specific senses depending on the tool being used. For example, when you use scissors to cut hair, you are snipping pieces of hair off. When you use a knife to cut a cake, you are carefully dividing the cake into pieces. A person that cuts something is called a cutter.
- Real-life examples: Scissors, knives, scalpels, saws, swords, axes, and lawnmowers are some tools that are used to cut things.
- Used in a sentence: Be careful that you don’t cut your hand with that sharp knife.
- Used in a sentence: I was fooling around with the saw and got a bad cut on my leg.
He reached in and grabbed the biggest cut of the pie.
Informally, cut is used as a verb to mean to stop doing something.- Used in a sentence: I need you to cut the jokes and start being serious.
- Real-life examples: Prices can be cut (lowered). Your homework can be cut down (reduced in the amount you have). A speech can be cut (reduced in length). Many people cut calories (reduce the number of calories they eat) when trying to lose weight.
- Used in a sentence: We tried to cut costs by using cheaper wood.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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