I. noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English, from gerund of cutten to cut
1. : something cut or cut off, out, or over: as
a. : a section of a plant of stem, root, or leaf origin capable of sending out roots and used for propagation ; specifically : a stem cutting
b.
(1) : a crop (as of indigo, grain, or hay) that has been cut especially at a single mowing
(2) : felling
c. chiefly Britain : an excavation or cut (as for a canal, railway, or highway)
d. chiefly Britain : a clipping (as from a newspaper or magazine)
e. cuttings plural : rock particles brought to the surface in well drilling
2. obsolete : tallage
3. : something made by cutting ; especially : recording
II. adjective
Etymology: Middle English, from present participle of cutten
: given to or designed for cutting: as
a. : edged , sharp : made for cutting, severing, or dividing
a cutting blade
b. : marked by sharp piercing cold
the cutting winds of January
c. : marked by or given to penetrating sarcastic asperity wounding the feelings of others
disagreeably arrogant or contemptuous in a cutting way — Edmund Wilson
d. : grown or cultivated for cutting
flowers from the cutting garden
e. : sharp , intense : demanding attention
a cutting pain
a cutting whistle
Synonyms: see incisive