From Middle English cutten, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *kytja, *kutta, from Proto-Germanic *kutjaną, *kuttaną (“to cut”), of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *kwetwą (“meat, flesh”) (compare Old Norse kvett (“meat”)). Sometimes instead compared to French couteau, itself from Latin culter (“knife”). Compare Scots kut, kit (“to cut”)); also akin to Middle Swedish kotta (“to cut or carve with a knife”) (compare dialectal Swedish kåta, kuta (“to cut or chip with a knife”), Swedish kuta, kytti (“a knife”)), Norwegian Bokmål kutte (“to cut”), Norwegian Nynorsk kutte (“to cut”), Icelandic kuta (“to cut with a knife”), Old Norse kuti (“small knife”), Norwegian kyttel, kytel, kjutul (“pointed slip of wood used to strip bark”). Displaced native Middle English snithen (from Old English snīþan; compare German schneiden), which still survives in some dialects as snithe or snead. See snide. Adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally jocular derivative form of half-cut) dates from the 17th century, from cut in the leg, to have cut your leg, euphemism for being very drunk.
› To incise, to cut into the surface of something.
1
To perform an incision on, for example with a knife.
You must cut this flesh from off his breast.c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene i]:
MARA: We are forty against four hundred. // KLINGON: Four thousand throats may be cut in one night by a running man.1969, Jerome Bixby, Star Trek episode “Day of the Dove”, Culver City, Calif.: Desilu Studios; distributed by Paramount Television, published 1969:
2
To divide with a knife, scissors, or another sharp instrument.
Would you please cut the cake?
Before the whistling winds the vessels fly, / With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way.1725, Homer, “Book III”, in [Alexander Pope], transl., The Odyssey of Homer. […], volume I, London: […] Bernard Lintot, →OCLC:
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First, marinate the tofu. In a bowl, whisk the kecap manis, chilli sauce, and sesame oil together. Cut the tofu into strips about 1cm thick, mix gently (so it doesn't break) with the marinade and leave in the fridge for half an hour.2012 May 8, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, Random House, →ISBN, page 79:
3
To form or shape by cutting.
I have three diamonds to cut today.
Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, / Sit like his grandsire cut in alabasterc. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene i]:
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loopholes cut through thickest shade1667, John Milton, “Book VIII”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert Boulter […]; [a]nd Matthias Walker, […], →OCLC; republished as Paradise Lost in Ten Books: […], London: Basil Montagu Pickering […], 1873, →OCLC:
We don't want your money no more. We just going to cut you.1990, Stephen Dobyns, The house on Alexandrine:
5
To engage in self-harm by making cuts in one's own skin.
The patient said she had been cutting since the age of thirteen.
6
Ambitransitive To deliver a stroke with a whip or like instrument to.
“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. ¶ “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
7
To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce.
Sarcasm cuts to the quick.
she feared she should laugh to hear an European preach in Tamul , but on the contrary , was cut to the heart by what she heard1829, Elijah Hoole, Personal Narrative of a Mission to the South of India, from 1820 to 1828:
8
To castrate or geld.
to cut a horse
9
To interfere, as a horse; to strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in using the legs.
10
To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument.
The panels of white-wood that cuts like cheese, / But lasts like iron for things like these;1857–1858, Oliver Wendell Holmes [Sr.], “(please specify the page)”, in The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, Boston, Mass.: Phillips, Sampson and Company, published 1858, →OCLC:
› To separate, remove, reject or reduce.
11
To separate or omit, in a situation where one was previously associated.
Travis was cut from the team.
12
To abridge or shorten a work; to remove a portion of a recording during editing.
13
To reduce, especially intentionally.
They're going to cut salaries by fifteen percent.
In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. The welfare state is dismantled. Essential public services are cut so that the rich may pay less tax.2013 May 17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 23, page 19:
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The principle of prioritising longer-distance trains by cutting services to wayside stations (often leading directly to their closure) is not new.2022 January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3:
14
To absent oneself from (a class, an appointment, etc.).
I cut fifth period to hang out with Angela.
An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the shop whenever he can do so with impunity.1833, Thomas Hamilton, Men and Manners in America:
my friends and i had gone for lunch but i had to cut early and couldn't get dessert (which if you know me it's my top priority) so they got it packed and dropped off at my place without a word "open the lift and take it" ?????????? how is this real i will literally cry2023 September 3, @tamashbean, Twitter, archived from the original on 25 Apr 2024:
16
To ignore as a social rebuff or snub.
After the incident at the dinner party, people started to cut him on the street.
At first it had been very painful to him to meet any of his old friends, [...] but this soon passed; either they cut him, or he cut them; it was not nice being cut for the first time or two, but after that, it became rather pleasant than not [...] The ordeal is a painful one, but if a man's moral and intellectual constitution are naturally sound, there is nothing which will give him so much strength of character as having been well cut.1903, Samuel Barber, The Way of All Flesh chapter 73
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The ordinary people greet him (Aaron Burr) warmly while the respectable folk tend to cut him dead.1973, Gore Vidal, Burr
The Monthly Magazine, Or, British Register for 1798 included an explanation by a reader of how the cut was carried out in his college days in a lengthy letter to the editor, signed by the pseudonym "Ansonius." In his rambling letter, Ansonius noted that when he was at college, " … if a man passed an old acquaintance wittingly, without recognizing him, he was said— ‘To cut him.’" Ansonius then went on to explain the performance of the cut and noted that for a time the term "to spear" was used instead of to cut. However, that term did not remain long in use, and this act was generally known as "the cut" ever after.27 September 2013, Kane, Kathryn, The Regency Redingote Blog The Cut: The Ultimate & Final Social Weapon
Computing, Engineering, Mathematics, Natural sciences, Physical sciences, Sciences To remove (text, a picture, etc.) and place in memory in order to paste at a later time.
Select the text, cut it, and then paste it in the other application.
20
To enter a queue in the wrong place.
One student kept trying to cut in front of the line.
Excuse me, do you mind if I cut?!2010 June 8, guy & rOdd, “Brevity”, in gocomics.com:
21
To intersect or cross in such a way as to divide in half or nearly so.
This road cuts right through downtown.
Neither Joleon Lescott nor Vieira appeared to make any contact with Dyer as he cut between them.2011 January 18, Daniel Taylor, “Manchester City 4 Leicester City 2”, in Guardian Online:
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Most of the Himalayan rivers have been relatively untouched by dams near their sources. Now the two great Asian powers, India and China, are rushing to harness them as they cut through some of the world's deepest valleys.2013 August 16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8:
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Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To make the ball spin sideways by running one's fingers down the side of the ball while bowling it.
23
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat.
24
To change direction suddenly.
The football player cut to his left to evade a tackle.
25
To divide a pack of playing cards into two parts, often followed by placing the two parts back together in the opposite order.
If you cut then I'll deal.
26
Slang To make, negotiate; to finalise, conclude; to issue.
I'll cut a check for you.
I didn't deserve it, but he cut me a deal.
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to cut a deal, to cut deals
to cut a fantastic deal, to cut a raw deal
27
Slang To dilute or adulterate something, especially a recreational drug.
The best malt whiskies are improved if they are cut with a dash of water.
The bartender cuts his beer to save money and now it's all watery.
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Drug dealers sometimes cut cocaine with lidocaine.
28
To exhibit (a figure having some trait).
The Bender family cut a very distinct profile.
Arsenal were starting to work up a head of steam and Tractor Boys boss Paul Jewell cut an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline.2011 January 25, Paul Fletcher, “Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (agg. 3-1)”, in BBC:
29
To stop, disengage, or cease.
The schoolchildren were told to cut the noise.
Cut the engines when the plane comes to a halt!
30
To renounce or give up.
31
Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To drive (a ball) to one side, as by (in billiards or croquet) hitting it fine with another ball, or (in tennis) striking it with the racket inclined.
32
Bodybuilding, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports To lose body mass, aiming to keep muscle but lose body fat.
33
To perform (an elaborate dancing movement etc.).
to cut a caper
'Choke, chicken, there's more a-hatching,' said Miss Mag, in a sort of aside, and cutting a flic-flac with a merry devilish laugh, and a wink to Puddock.1863, Sheridan Le Fanu, The House by the Churchyard:
‘Look here, you're nearest his size. Cut up to your rooms and give Ipps your dinner things and a clean shirt for him.’1911, Rudyard Kipling, “The Honours of War”, in A Diversity of Creatures, London: Macmillan and Co., […], published 1917, →OCLC, page 114:
Now one of us had better cut down to Courtfield on a bike […]1950, Frank Richards, Billy Bunter's Benefit:
From Middle English cutten, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *kytja, *kutta, from Proto-Germanic *kutjaną, *kuttaną (“to cut”), of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *kwetwą (“meat, flesh”) (compare Old Norse kvett (“meat”)). Sometimes instead compared to French couteau, itself from Latin culter (“knife”). Compare Scots kut, kit (“to cut”)); also akin to Middle Swedish kotta (“to cut or carve with a knife”) (compare dialectal Swedish kåta, kuta (“to cut or chip with a knife”), Swedish kuta, kytti (“a knife”)), Norwegian Bokmål kutte (“to cut”), Norwegian Nynorsk kutte (“to cut”), Icelandic kuta (“to cut with a knife”), Old Norse kuti (“small knife”), Norwegian kyttel, kytel, kjutul (“pointed slip of wood used to strip bark”). Displaced native Middle English snithen (from Old English snīþan; compare German schneiden), which still survives in some dialects as snithe or snead. See snide. Adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally jocular derivative form of half-cut) dates from the 17th century, from cut in the leg, to have cut your leg, euphemism for being very drunk.
Adjective, Error misspelling, Participle Having been cut.
The real purpose of building this railway on the part of the Japanese imperialists at that time was to spy on the Mongolian People's Republic and to transport the timber produced in the A-erh-t'ai forest zone.[…]The principal cargo consists of cut timber from the A-erh-t'ai-shan, and the cereal products of Wu-lan-hao-t'e.1958 November 7 [1956], Excerpts from "Economic Geography of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region", United States Joint Publications Research Service, →OCLC, page 58:
2
Reduced.
The pitcher threw a cut fastball that was slower than his usual pitch.
Cut brandy is a liquor made of brandy and hard grain liquor.
3
Of a gem Carved into a shape; not raw.
4
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsOf a shot Played with a horizontal bat to hit the ball backward of point.
5
Bodybuilding, Hobbies, Lifestyle, Sports Having muscular definition in which individual groups of muscle fibers stand out among larger muscles.
Or how 'bout Shane DiMora? Could he possibly get rip-roaring cut this time around?1988, Steve Holman, “Christian Conquers Columbus”, in Ironman, 47 (6): 28-34:
That's the premise of the overload principle, and it must be applied, even to ab training, if you're going to develop a cut, ripped midsection.2010, Bill Geiger, “6-pack Abs in 9 Weeks”, in Reps!, 17:106:
6
Informal Circumcised or having been the subject of female genital mutilation.
‘Here y'are,’ says the happy butcher, dragging out a bucket. ‘Good riddance. But me dogs'll be cut tonight, I tell ya. That's their grub.’1999, Julia Leigh, The Hunter, Faber & Faber 2012, p. 41
I was dev’lish cut—uncommon—been dining with some chaps at Greenwich.1848 November – 1850 December, William Makepeace Thackeray, chapter 51, in The History of Pendennis. […], volume (please specify |volume=I or II), London: Bradbury and Evans, […], published 1849–1850, →OCLC:
From Middle English cutten, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *kytja, *kutta, from Proto-Germanic *kutjaną, *kuttaną (“to cut”), of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *kwetwą (“meat, flesh”) (compare Old Norse kvett (“meat”)). Sometimes instead compared to French couteau, itself from Latin culter (“knife”). Compare Scots kut, kit (“to cut”)); also akin to Middle Swedish kotta (“to cut or carve with a knife”) (compare dialectal Swedish kåta, kuta (“to cut or chip with a knife”), Swedish kuta, kytti (“a knife”)), Norwegian Bokmål kutte (“to cut”), Norwegian Nynorsk kutte (“to cut”), Icelandic kuta (“to cut with a knife”), Old Norse kuti (“small knife”), Norwegian kyttel, kytel, kjutul (“pointed slip of wood used to strip bark”). Displaced native Middle English snithen (from Old English snīþan; compare German schneiden), which still survives in some dialects as snithe or snead. See snide. Adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally jocular derivative form of half-cut) dates from the 17th century, from cut in the leg, to have cut your leg, euphemism for being very drunk.
Figuratively A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove.
› The result of cutting. › A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting…
8
Figuratively Such a passage dug for a roadway for a paved road or railroad, a canal, a runway, etc.
a cut through the hillside for a railroad
which great cut or ditch Sesostris […] purposed to have made a great deale wider and deeper.1603, Richard Knolles, The Generall Historie of the Turkes, […], London: […] Adam Islip, →OCLC:
› The result of cutting.
9
Figuratively An artificial channel for marine navigation, as distinguished from a navigable river.
The taxman always gets his cut, and that's fine as long as it's a haircut and not an amputation.
The bank robbers disbanded after everyone got their cut of the money.
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Starting today, UE5 is free to download and use, with Epic taking a 5% cut on products created with it only after they earn over $1 million in gross revenue.2022 April 6, Andrew R. Chow, “Inside Epic's Unreal Engine 5”, in Time:
The editors went a little crazy making so many cuts.
12
Figuratively The manner or style in which a garment, other article of clothing, or sail is fashioned.
I like the cut of that suit.
I like the cut of that jib.
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with eyes severe and beard of formal cutc. 1598–1600 (date written), William Shakespeare, “As You Like It”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene vii]:
Cope pushed away his coffee-cup and asked the young Greek for a cut of pie.1919, Henry B[lake] Fuller, “Cope Amidst Cross-Purposes”, in Bertram Cope’s Year: A Novel, Chicago, Ill.: Ralph Fletcher Seymour, The Alderbrink Press, →OCLC, page 110:
14
Figuratively A standard type of meat portion in butchery.
The Vegas Strip is a supposedly new cut of beef.
15
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsFiguratively A batsman's shot played with a swinging motion of the bat, to hit the ball backward of point.
16
Ball games, Cricket, Games, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsFiguratively Sideways movement of the ball through the air caused by a fast bowler imparting spin to the ball.
17
Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsFiguratively In lawn tennis, etc., a slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin thus given to the ball.
18
Golf, Hobbies, Lifestyle, SportsFiguratively In a stroke play competition, the early elimination of those players who have not then attained a preannounced score, so that the rest of the competition is less pressed for time and more entertaining for spectators.
Figuratively A deliberate snub, typically a refusal to return a bow or other acknowledgement of acquaintance.
Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed.1819, Washington Irving, (Rip Van Winkle)::
After several experiences like this, I began to entertain a sort of respect for Kooloo, as quite a man of the world. In good sooth, he turned out to be one; in one week's time giving me the cut direct, and lounging by without even nodding. He must have taken me for part of the landscape.1847 March 30, Herman Melville, Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas; […], London: John Murray, […], →OCLC:
1966-1969, Lou Sullivan, personal diary, quoted in 2019, Ellis Martin, Zach Ozma (editors), We Both Laughed In Pleasure We got out & there was a group of boppers, bout 25 of 'm in a group. They started yellin cuts, "queer" seemed to be the favorite they all began chanting it. "Hey, yer not gonna serve those queers, are ya Howie?"
26
Figuratively A definable part, such as an individual song, of a recording, particularly of commercial records, audio tapes, CDs, etc.
The drummer on the last cut of their CD is not identified.
Best cuts: "The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).1975, Billboard, volume 87, number 24, page 50:
27
Archaeology, History, Human sciences, SciencesFiguratively A truncation, a context that represents a moment in time when other archaeological deposits were removed for the creation of some feature such as a ditch or pit.
The shunter has a lightweight portable radio transmitter by which, as he uncouples an incoming train into cuts for marshalling, he informs the Traffic Office of the number of wagons in each cut and its siding; [...].1960 June, “Talking of Trains: The new Margam yard”, in Trains Illustrated, page 323:
32
Figuratively An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving.
He's buy me a whit Cut, forth for to ride1613–1614, William Shakespeare, John Fletcher, “The Two Noble Kinsmen”, in Fifty Comedies and Tragedies. […], [part 2], London: […] J[ohn] Macock [and H. Hills], for John Martyn, Henry Herringman, and Richard Marriot, published 1679, →OCLC, Act III, scene iv, page 436, column 2:
34
Dated, Figuratively, Slang The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise.
I'm laying in a cut 'bout to shoot me a mutt1992 September 22, Da Lench Mob, “Guerillas^([sic]) in tha Mist” (track 6), in Guerillas in tha Mist:
I see Xzibit in the cut, hey, nigga, roll that weed up.2003 January 7, “In da Club” (track 5), in Get Rich or Die Tryin', performed by 50 Cent:
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You don't mind me askin', why you want to sell? I mean, even from inside here, you can take a slice for just layin' in the cut.2008 March 9, David Simon, “-30-”, in The Wire, season 5, episode 10 (television production), spoken by Slim Charles (Anwan Glover), via HBO:
In the cut, in the cut, rolling doobies up2010 April 14, Wiz Khalifa, “In the Cut”, in Kush & Orange Juice:
Bitch I'm out, catch me chillin' in the cut. Me and my homies swag it out in the cut. It's a party going down in the cut.2012, Honey Cocaine, In The Cut:
Famous as fuck, but I’m still in the cut when they round up the troops.2016, Drake, “Summer Sixteen"”:
From Middle English cutten, of North Germanic origin, from Old Norse *kytja, *kutta, from Proto-Germanic *kutjaną, *kuttaną (“to cut”), of uncertain origin, perhaps related to Proto-Germanic *kwetwą (“meat, flesh”) (compare Old Norse kvett (“meat”)). Sometimes instead compared to French couteau, itself from Latin culter (“knife”). Compare Scots kut, kit (“to cut”)); also akin to Middle Swedish kotta (“to cut or carve with a knife”) (compare dialectal Swedish kåta, kuta (“to cut or chip with a knife”), Swedish kuta, kytti (“a knife”)), Norwegian Bokmål kutte (“to cut”), Norwegian Nynorsk kutte (“to cut”), Icelandic kuta (“to cut with a knife”), Old Norse kuti (“small knife”), Norwegian kyttel, kytel, kjutul (“pointed slip of wood used to strip bark”). Displaced native Middle English snithen (from Old English snīþan; compare German schneiden), which still survives in some dialects as snithe or snead. See snide. Adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally jocular derivative form of half-cut) dates from the 17th century, from cut in the leg, to have cut your leg, euphemism for being very drunk.