verb (used with object) 1.to penetrate with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument or
object:
He cut his finger. 2.to divide with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; sever; carve: to cut a rope.
3.to detach with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; separate from the main body; lop off: to cut a slice from a loaf of bread.
4.to hew or saw down; fell: to cut timber.
5.to trim by clipping, shearing, paring, or pruning: to cut hair.
EXPAND6.to mow; reap; harvest: to cut grain.
7.to abridge or shorten; edit by omitting a part or parts: to cut a speech.
8.to lower, reduce, diminish, or curtail (sometimes followed by down): to cut prices.
9.to dilute; make less thick: to cut wine.
10.to dissolve: That detergent cuts grease effectively.
11.to intersect; cross:
One line cuts another at right angles. 12.Informal. to cease; discontinue (often followed by out): Cut the kidding. Let's cut out the pretense.
13.to stop; halt the running of, as a liquid or an engine (often followed by off): The pilot cut the engines and glided in for a landing. Cut off the hot water.
14.to dilute or adulterate (a drug) by mixing it with other substances.
15.to grow (a tooth or teeth) through the
gum:
The baby is cutting his teeth. 16.to type, write, or draw on (a stencil) for mimeographing.
17.to make or fashion by cutting, as a statue, jewel, or garment.
18.Glassmaking. to produce a pattern (in glass) by grinding and polishing.
19.to refuse to recognize socially; shun ostentatiously: Her friends began to cut her as the season progressed.
20.to strike sharply, as with a whip.
21.to absent oneself from: allowed to cut three classes per semester.
22.Movies, Television. a.to stop (a scene or shot being filmed).
23.Computers. to remove (selected text, images, etc.) from a file to store in temporary memory until pasted elsewhere.
Compare copy (def. 15), paste (def. 13). 24.to wound the feelings of severely.
25.Cards. a.to divide (a pack of cards) at
random into two or more parts, by removing cards from the top.
b.to take (a card) from a deck.
26.to record a selection on (a phonograph record or tape); make a recording of.
28.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.
29.to hollow out; excavate; dig: to cut a trench.
30.Cricket. to strike and send off (a ball) in front of the batsman, and parallel to the wicket.
31.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.
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verb (used without object) 32.to penetrate or divide something, as with a sharp-edged instrument; make an incision: The scissors cut well.
33.to admit of being cut: Butter cuts easily.
34.to pass, go, or come, especially in the most direct way (usually followed by across, through, in, etc.): to cut across an empty lot.
35.Movies, Television. a.to shift suddenly from one shot to another: Cut to the barroom interior.
b.to stop the action of a scene: used as a command by a director.
36.to make a sudden or sharp turn in direction; change direction suddenly; swerve: We cut to the left to avoid hitting the child.
EXPAND37.to strike a person, animal, etc., sharply, as with a whip.
38.to wound the feelings severely: His criticism cut deep.
39.(of the teeth) to grow through the gums.
40.Computers. to remove selected text, images, etc., from a file for storage in temporary memory until pasted elsewhere.
Compare copy (def. 17), paste (def. 14). 41.Cards. to cut the cards.
42.Informal. to leave hastily: to cut for the hills.
43.(of a horse) to interfere.
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Cuts
is always a great word to know.
So is callithumpian. Does it mean:
So is doohickey. Does it mean:
So is flibbertigibbet. Does it mean:
adjective 45.fashioned by
cutting; having the surface shaped or ornamented by grinding, polishing, or the like:
cut diamonds. 46.reduced by or as if by
cutting: cut whiskey; cut prices. 47.Botany. incised; cleft.
EXPAND noun 50.the act of cutting; a stroke or a blow, as with a knife, whip, etc.
51.the result of cutting, as an incision, wound, passage, or channel.
52.a piece cut off: a cut of a pie.
53.Informal. a share, especially of earnings or profits: His agent's cut is 20 percent.
54.a haircut, often with a styling.
EXPAND55.a reduction in price, salary, etc.
56.the manner or fashion in
which anything is cut:
the cut of a dress. 57.style; manner; kind: We need a man of his cut in this firm.
58.a passage or course straight across or through: a cut through the woods.
59.an excision or omission of a part.
60.a part or quantity of text deleted or omitted.
61.a quantity cut, especially of lumber.
62.a refusal to recognize an acquaintance.
63.an act, speech, etc., that wounds the feelings.
64.an engraved plate or block of wood used for printing.
65.a printed picture or illustration.
66.an absence, as from a school class, at which attendance is required.
67.Butchering. part of an animal usually cut as one piece.
68.Cards. a cutting of the cards.
70.Fencing. a blow with the edge of the blade instead of the tip.
71.one of several pieces of straw, paper, etc., used in drawing lots.
72.Movies, Television. a.the instantaneous or gradual transition from one shot or scene to another in an edited film.
c.an act or instance of editing a film.
73.an individual song, musical piece, or other similar material on a record or tape.
74.any product of the fractional distillation of petroleum.
COLLAPSE Verb phrases75.cut across, to precede or go beyond considerations of; transcend: The new tax program cuts across party lines.
76.cut down, a.Also, cut down on. to lessen; decrease: to cut down on between-meal snacks.
b.to strike and cause to fall:
The first force to attempt an advance was swiftly cut down. c.to destroy, kill, or disable: The hurricane cut down everything in its path.
d.to remodel, remake, or reduce in size, as a garment: She had her old coat cut down to fit her daughter.
77.cut in, a.to move or thrust oneself, a vehicle, etc., abruptly between others: A speeding car cut in and nearly caused an accident.
b.to interpose; interrupt: to cut in with a remark.
c.Informal. to interrupt a dancing couple in order to dance with one of them.
d.to blend (shortening) into flour by means of a knife.
78.cut off, c.to stop suddenly; discontinue.
d.to halt the operation of; turn off.
e.to shut off or shut out.
79.cut out, a.to omit; delete; excise.
b.to oust and replace a rival; supplant.
c.to part an animal from a herd.
d.to plan; arrange: He has his work cut out for him.
e.to move out of one's lane of traffic.
f.Also, cut on out. Slang. to leave suddenly.
g.Informal. to refrain from; stop: to cut out smoking.
h.(of an engine, machine, etc.) to stop running.
EXPAND80.cut up, a.to cut into pieces or sections.
c.to distress mentally; injure.
d.Informal. to play pranks; misbehave: They got scolded for cutting up in church.
COLLAPSE Idioms81.a cut above, somewhat superior to another (thing, person, etc.) in some respect: Her work is a cut above anyone else's.
82.cut a caper/figure, to perform a spirited, brief, outlandish dance step, especially as a result of euphoria.
83.cut a figure, b.to give a certain impression of oneself: He cut a distinguished figure in his tuxedo.
84.cut and run, a.Nautical. to cut the anchor cable and
set sail, as in an emergency.
b.to leave as hurriedly as possible; flee.
85.cut back, a.to shorten by cutting off the end.
b.to curtail or discontinue: Steel production has been cut back in recent months.
c.to return to an earlier episode or event, as in the plot of a novel.
d.Football. to reverse direction suddenly by moving in the diagonally opposite course.
EXPAND86.cut both ways, to have, produce, or result in advantages as well as disadvantages:
This decision will inevitably cut both ways. 87.cut/chop down to size, to reduce the stature or importance of: The novelist had a big ego until the critics cut him down to size.
88.cut it, Informal. a.to achieve or maintain a desired level of performance: The aging football player decided he couldn't cut it any longer and retired.
b.to be effective or successful; satisfy a need.
89.cut it out, Informal. to stop doing something: That hurts! Cut it out!
90.cut no ice. ice (def. 25). 91.cut out for, fitted for; capable of: He wasn't cut out for military service.
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Origin:
1175–1225; Middle English cutten, kytten, kitten, Old English *cyttan; akin to Old Swedish kotta to cut, Old Norse kuti little knife
Related formshalf-cut, adjective
mis·cut, verb, -cut, -cut·ting.
out·cut, verb (used with object), -cut, -cut·ting.
re·cut, verb, -cut, -cut·ting.
well-cut, adjective
Synonyms
1. gash, slash, slit, lance. 2. cleave, sunder, bisect. Cut, chop, hack, hew refer to giving a sharp blow or stroke. Cut is a general word for this: to cut the grass. To chop is to cut by giving repeated blows with something sharp, as an ax. To chop and to hew are practically interchangeable, but hew suggests keeping to a definite purpose: to chop or hew down a tree; to hew out a clearing. To hack is to cut or chop roughly and unevenly: to hack off a limb. 7. abbreviate, curtail.