cut

Etymology

From Middle English cutten, kitten, kytten, ketten (“to cut”) (compare Scots kut, kit (“to cut”)), 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”)). 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.

verb

1. (transitive) To incise, to cut into the surface of something.
   1. To perform an incision on, for example with a knife.
   2. To divide with a knife, scissors, or another sharp instrument.
      Would you please cut the cake?
      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. 8 May 2012, Yotam Ottolenghi, Sami Tamimi, Ottolenghi: The Cookbook, Random House, page 79
   3. To form or shape by cutting.
      I have three diamonds to cut today.
   4. (slang) To wound with a knife.
      We don't want your money no more. We just going to cut you. 1990, Stephen Dobyns, The house on Alexandrine
   5. (intransitive) 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. To deliver a stroke with a whip or like instrument to.
   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 heard 1829, 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.
2. (intransitive) 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; 1858, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Sr., chapter XI, in The Autocrat of the Breakfast-Table, The Deacon's Masterpiece
3. (transitive, social) To separate, remove, reject or reduce.
   1. To separate or omit, in a situation where one was previously associated.
      Travis was cut from the team.
   2. To abridge or shorten a work; to remove a portion of a recording during editing.
   3. 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. 2013-05-17, George Monbiot, “Money just makes the rich suffer”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 188, number 23, page 19
      The principle of prioritising longer-distance trains by cutting services to wayside stations (often leading directly to their closure) is not new. January 12 2022, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, in RAIL, number 948, page 3
   4. 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
4. (transitive, social) 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
   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
5. (intransitive, film) To make an abrupt transition from one scene or image to another.
   The camera then cut to the woman on the front row who was clearly overcome and crying tears of joy.
6. (transitive, film) To edit a film by selecting takes from original footage.
7. (transitive, computing) 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.
8. (intransitive) To enter a queue in the wrong place.
   One student kept trying to cut in front of the line.
9. (intransitive) 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. January 18, 2011, Daniel Taylor, “Manchester City 4 Leicester City 2”, in Guardian Online
   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. 2013-08-16, John Vidal, “Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”, in The Guardian Weekly, volume 189, number 10, page 8
10. (transitive, cricket) To make the ball spin sideways by running one's fingers down the side of the ball while bowling it.
11. (transitive, cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat.
12. (intransitive) To change direction suddenly.
    The football player cut to his left to evade a tackle.
13. (transitive, intransitive) To divide a pack of playing cards into two.
    If you cut then I'll deal.
14. (transitive, slang) To make, to negotiate, to conclude.
    I'll cut a check for you.
    I didn't deserve it, but he cut me a deal.
    to cut a deal, to cut deals
    to cut a fantastic deal, to cut a raw deal
15. (transitive, 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.
    Drug dealers sometimes cut cocaine with lidocaine.
16. (transitive) To exhibit (a quality).
    Arsenal were starting to work up a head of steam and Tractor Boys boss Paul Jewell cut an increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline. January 25, 2011, Paul Fletcher, “Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (agg. 3-1)”, in BBC
17. (transitive) To stop, disengage, or cease.
    The schoolchildren were told to cut the noise.
    Cut the engines when the plane comes to a halt!
18. (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.
19. (bodybuilding) To lose body mass, aiming to keep muscle but lose body fat.
    Coordinate term: bulk
20. To perform (a 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

adj

1. (participial adjective) Having been cut.
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. (cricket, of a shot) Played with a horizontal bat to hit the ball backward of point.
5. (bodybuilding) 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.
7. (Australia, New Zealand, slang) Emotionally hurt.
8. (slang, New Zealand, formerly UK) Intoxicated as a result of drugs or alcohol.

noun

1. The act of cutting.
   He made a fine cut with his sword.
2. The result of cutting.
   a smooth or clear cut
3. An opening resulting from cutting; an incision or wound.
   Look at this cut on my finger!
4. A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove.
   a cut for a railroad
   1. An artificial navigation channel as distinguished from a navigable river.
5. A share or portion of profits.
   The bank robbers disbanded after everyone got their cut of the money.
   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. April 6 2022, Andrew R. Chow, “Inside Epic's Unreal Engine 5”, in Time
6. A decrease.
   (used in same contexts); increase
   The boss took a 5% pay cut.
7. (cricket) A batsman's shot played with a swinging motion of the bat, to hit the ball backward of point.
8. (cricket) Sideways movement of the ball through the air caused by a fast bowler imparting spin to the ball.
9. (sports) In lawn tennis, etc., a slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin thus given to the ball.
10. (golf) In a strokeplay 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.
11. (especially theater, film) A passage omitted or to be omitted from a play, movie script, speech, etc.
    The director asked the cast to note down the following cuts.
12. (film) A particular version or edit of a film.
    the director's cut
13. (card games) The act or right of dividing a deck of playing cards.
    The player next to the dealer makes a cut by placing the bottom half on top.
14. (card games) The card obtained by dividing the pack.
15. The manner or style in which a garment or an article of clothing is fashioned.
    I like the cut of that suit.
16. A slab or slice, especially of meat.
    That’s our finest cut of meat.
17. (fencing) An attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with its edge or point.
18. 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):
19. An unkind act; a cruelty.
20. (slang) An insult
    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?"
21. 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
22. (archaeology) 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.
23. A haircut.
24. (graph theory) The partition of a graph’s vertices into two subgroups.
25. (rail transport) A string of railway cars coupled together, shorter than a train.
    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
26. An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving.
    a book illustrated with fine cuts
27. (obsolete) A common workhorse; a gelding.
28. (slang, dated) The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise.
29. A skein of yarn.
    Two women for stealing 30 cuttes of linen yarn. 1632, North Riding Record
30. (slang, uncountable) That which is used to dilute or adulterate a recreational drug.
    Don't buy his coke: it's full of cut.
31. (fashion) A notch shaved into an eyebrow.
32. (bodybuilding) A time period when one attempts to lose fat while retaining muscle mass.
33. (slang) A hidden, secluded, or secure place.
    I'm laying in a cut 'bout to shoot me a mutt September 22, 1992, Da Lench Mob (lyrics and music), “Guerillas in tha Mist” (track 6), in Guerillas in tha Mist
    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. March 9, 2008, 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 up April 14, 2010, 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 (lyrics and music), “Summer Sixteen"”
    She got me stuck. Like a truck, deep mud, deep ruts, way out in the cut. She got me stuck. Even four-wheel drive won't work this time, yeah. 2021, Redferrin, "Stuck"
    We're off the beaten path from River Street downtown. So, it's, we're back here in the cut. 2023 January 9th, Santana Hannah, in JOLLY, "Brits try REAL Southern Fried Chicken for the first time!", YouTube, 11:27
34. (chemical engineering, petrochemistry) The range of temperatures used to distill a particular mixture of hydrocarbons from crude oil.

intj

1. (film and television) An instruction to cease recording.