/kut/ , v. , cut, cutting , adj. , n.
v.t.
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.
6. 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 fol. 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 fol. 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 fol. 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. Motion Pictures , Television.
a. to stop (a scene or shot being filmed).
b. to edit (a film).
23. to wound the feelings of severely.
24. 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.
25. to record a selection on (a phonograph record or tape); make a recording of.
26. to castrate or geld.
27. 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.
28. to hollow out; excavate; dig: to cut a trench.
29. Cricket. to strike and send off (a ball) in front of the batsman, and parallel to the wicket.
30. 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.
v.i.
31. to penetrate or divide something, as with a sharp-edged instrument; make an incision: The scissors cut well.
32. to admit of being cut: Butter cuts easily.
33. to pass, go, or come, esp. in the most direct way (usually fol. by across, through, in, etc.): to cut across an empty lot.
34. Motion Pictures , 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.
35. to make a sudden or sharp turn in direction; change direction suddenly; swerve: We cut to the left to avoid hitting the child.
36. to strike a person, animal, etc., sharply, as with a whip.
37. to wound the feelings severely: His criticism cut deep.
38. (of the teeth) to grow through the gums.
39. Cards. to cut the cards.
40. Informal. to leave hastily: to cut for the hills.
41. (of a horse) to interfere.
42. cut a caper or figure , to perform a spirited, brief, outlandish dance step, esp. as a result of euphoria.
43. cut across , to precede or go beyond considerations of; transcend: The new tax program cuts across party lines.
44. cut a figure ,
a. See cut a caper .
b. to give a certain impression of oneself: He cut a distinguished figure in his tuxedo.
45. cut and run ,
a. Naut. to cut the anchor cable and set sail, as in an emergency.
b. to leave as hurriedly as possible; flee.
46. 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.
47. cut both ways , to have, produce, or result in advantages as well as disadvantages: This decision will inevitably cut both ways.
48. 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.
49. cut or 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.
50. 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.
51. 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.
52. cut it out , Informal. to stop doing something: That hurts! Cut it out!
53. cut no ice . See ice (def. 10).
54. cut off ,
a. to intercept.
b. to interrupt.
c. to stop suddenly; discontinue.
d. to halt the operation of; turn off.
e. to shut off or shut out.
f. to disinherit.
g. to sever; separate.
55. 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.
56. cut up ,
a. to cut into pieces or sections.
b. to lacerate; wound.
c. to distress mentally; injure.
d. Informal. to play pranks; misbehave: They got scolded for cutting up in church.
adj.
57. that has been subjected to cutting; divided into pieces by cutting; detached by cutting: cut flowers.
58. fashioned by cutting; having the surface shaped or ornamented by grinding, polishing, or the like: cut diamonds.
59. reduced by or as if by cutting: cut whiskey; cut prices.
60. Bot. incised; cleft.
61. castrated; gelded.
62. Slang. drunk.
63. cut out for , fitted for; capable of: He wasn't cut out for military service.
n.
64. the act of cutting; a stroke or a blow, as with a knife, whip, etc.
65. the result of cutting, as an incision, wound, passage, or channel.
66. a piece cut off: a cut of a pie.
67. Informal. a share, esp. of earnings or profits: His agent's cut is 20 percent.
68. a haircut, often with a styling.
69. a reduction in price, salary, etc.
70. the manner or fashion in which anything is cut: the cut of a dress.
71. style; manner; kind: We need a man of his cut in this firm.
72. a passage or course straight across or through: a cut through the woods.
73. an excision or omission of a part.
74. a part or quantity of text deleted or omitted.
75. a quantity cut, esp. of lumber.
76. a refusal to recognize an acquaintance.
77. an act, speech, etc., that wounds the feelings.
78. an engraved plate or block of wood used for printing.
79. a printed picture or illustration.
80. an absence, as from a school class, at which attendance is required.
81. Butchering. part of an animal usually cut as one piece.
82. Cards. a cutting of the cards.
83. Sports.
a. the act of cutting a ball.
b. the spin imparted.
84. Fencing. a blow with the edge of the blade instead of the tip.
85. one of several pieces of straw, paper, etc., used in drawing lots.
86. Motion Pictures , Television.
a. the instantaneous or gradual transition from one shot or scene to another in an edited film.
b. an edited version of a film. Cf. rough cut, final cut .
c. an act or instance of editing a film.
87. an individual song, musical piece, or other similar material on a record or tape.
88. any product of the fractional distillation of petroleum.
89. a cut above , somewhat superior to another (thing, person, etc.) in some respect: Her work is a cut above anyone else's.
[ 1175-1225; ME cutten, kytten, kitten, OE * cyttan; akin to OSw kotta to cut, ON kuti little knife ]
Syn. 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.