[cut] vb cut ; cut.ting [ME cutten] vt (13c) 1 a: to penetrate with or as if with an edged instrument b: to hurt the feelings of c: to strike sharply with a cutting effect d: to strike (a ball) with a glancing blow that imparts a reverse spin e: to experience the growth of (a tooth) through the gum
2. a: trim, pare "~ one's nails" b: to shorten by omissions c: dissolve, dilute, adulterate d: to reduce in amount "~ costs" 3 a: mow, reap b (1): to divide into parts with an edged tool "~ bread" (2): fell, hew c (1): to separate or discharge from an organization: detach (2): to single out and isolate "~ a calf out from the herd" d: to change the direction of sharply e: to go or pass around or about
4. a: to divide into segments b: intersect, cross c: break, interrupt "~ our supply lines" d (1): to divide (a deck of cards) into two portions (2): to draw (a card) from the deck e: to divide into shares: split
5. a: to make by or as if by cutting: as (1): carve "~ stone" (2): to shape by grinding "~ a diamond" (3): engrave (4): to shear or hollow out b: to record sounds (as speech or music) on "~ a record" c: to type on a stencil
6. a: stop, cease "~ the nonsense" b: to refuse to recognize (an acquaintance): ostracize c: to absent oneself from (as a class) d: to stop (a motor) by opening a switch e: to stop the filming of (a motion-picture scene)
7. a: to engage in (a frolicsome or mischievous action) "on summer nights strange capers are ~ under the thin guise of a Christian festival --D. C. Peattie" b: to give the appearance or impression of "~ a fine figure" 8: to be able to manage or handle--usu. used in negative constructions "can't ~ that kind of work anymore" ~ vi 1 a: to function as or as if as an edged tool b: to undergo incision or severance "cheese ~s easily" c: to perform the operation of dividing, severing, incising, or intersecting d: to make a stroke with a whip, sword, or other weapon e: to wound feelings or sensibilities f: to cause constriction or chafing g: to be of effect, influ : to negotiate an agreement -- cut corners : to perform some action in the quickest, easiest, or cheapest way -- cut ice : to be of importance--usu. used in negative constructions -- cut it : to cut the mustard -- cut the mustard : to achieve the standard of performance necessary for success
[2]cut n (1548) 1: a product of cutting: as a: a creek, channel, or inlet made by excavation or worn by natural action b (1): an opening made with an edged instrument (2): a wound made by something sharp: gash c: a surface or outline left by cutting d: a passage cut as a roadway e: a grade or step esp. in a social scale "a ~ above the ordinary" f: a subset of a set such that when it is subtracted from the set the remainder is not connected g: a pictorial illustration h: track 1e(2)
2: the act or an instance of cutting: as a: a gesture or expression that hurts the feelings "made an unkind ~" b: a straight passage or course c: a stroke or blow with the edge of a knife or other edged tool d: a lash with or as if with a whip e: the act of reducing or removing a part "a ~ in pay" f: an act or turn of cutting cards; also: the result of cutting g: the elimination of part of a large field from further competition (as in a golf tournament)--often used with miss or make to denote respectively being or not being among those eliminated "played poorly and missed the ~"
3: something that is cut or cut off: as a: a length of cloth varying from 40 to 100 yards (36.6 to 91.4 meters) b: the yield of products cut esp. during one harvest c: a segment or section of a meat carcass or a part of one d: a group of animals selected from a herd e: share "took his ~ of the profits"
4: a voluntary absence from a class
5. a: a stroke that cuts a ball; also: the spin imparted by such a stroke b: a swing by a batter at a pitched baseball c: an exchange of captures in checkers
6: an abrupt transition from one sound or image to another in motion pictures, radio, or television
7. a: the shape and style in which a thing is cut, formed, or made "clothes of the latest ~" b: pattern, type c: haircut -- cut of one's jib : appearance, style