cut

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See also:Appendix:Variations of "cut"

English

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Etymology

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FromMiddle Englishcutten,kitten,kytten,ketten(“to cut”)(compareScotskut,kit(“to cut”)), ofNorth Germanicorigin, fromOld Norse*kytja,*kutta,fromProto-Germanic*kutjaną,*kuttaną(“to cut”),of uncertain origin, perhaps related toProto-Germanic*kwetwą(“meat, flesh”)(compareOld Norsekvett(“meat”)). Akin to MiddleSwedishkotta(“to cut or carve with a knife”)(compare dialectalSwedishkåta,kuta(“to cut or chip with a knife”),Swedishkuta,kytti(“a knife”)),Norwegian Bokmålkutte(“to cut”),Norwegian Nynorskkutte(“to cut”),Icelandickuta(“to cut with a knife”),Old Norsekuti(“small knife”),Norwegiankyttel,kytel,kjutul(“pointed slip of wood used to strip bark”).Displaced nativeMiddle Englishsnithen(fromOld Englishsnīþan;compareGermanschneiden), which still survives in some dialects assnitheorsnead.Seesnide.Adjective sense of "drunk" (now rare and now usually used in the originally jocular derivative form ofhalf-cut) dates from the 17th century, fromcut in the leg,to have cut your leg,euphemism for being very drunk.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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cut(third-person singular simple presentcuts,present participlecutting,simple pastcutor(nonstandard)cutted,past participlecutor(archaic)cutten)

  1. (chieflytransitive)Toincise,to cut into the surface of something.
    1. Toperformanincisionon, for example with aknife.
    2. Todividewith aknife,scissors,or anothersharpinstrument.
      Would you pleasecutthe cake?
      • 1725,Homer,“Book III”, in [Alexander Pope], transl.,The Odyssey of Homer.[…],volume I, London:[…]Bernard Lintot,→OCLC:
        Before the whistling winds the vessels fly, / With rapid swiftnesscutthe liquid way.
      • 2012May 8,Yotam Ottolenghi,Sami Tamimi,Ottolenghi: The Cookbook‎[1],Random House,→ISBN,page79:
        First, marinate the tofu. In a bowl, whisk the kecap manis, chilli sauce, and sesame oil together.Cutthe 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.
    3. Toformorshapeby cutting.
      I have three diamonds tocuttoday.
      • c.1596–1598(date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”,inMr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies[…](First Folio), London:[…]Isaac Iaggard,andEd[ward]Blount,published1623,→OCLC,[Act I, scene i]:
        Why should a man, whose blood is warm within, / Sit like his grandsirecutin alabaster
      • 1667,John Milton,“Book VIII”, inParadise Lost.[…],London:[…][Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker[…];[a]nd by Robert Boulter[…];[a]nd Matthias Walker,[…],→OCLC;republished asParadise Lost in Ten Books:[…],London: Basil Montagu Pickering[…],1873,→OCLC:
        loopholescutthrough thickest shade
    4. (slang)Towoundwith a knife.
      • 1990,Stephen Dobyns,The house on Alexandrine:
        We don't want your money no more. We just going tocutyou.
    5. (intransitive)To engage inself-harmby making cuts in one's own skin.
      The patient said she had beencuttingsince the age of thirteen.
    6. (transitive,intransitive)To deliver astrokewith awhipor like instrument to.
      • 1908,W[illiam]B[lair]M[orton]Ferguson, chapter IV, inZollenstein,New York, N.Y.:D. Appleton & Company,→OCLC:
        “My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. ¶ Von Lindowecutat 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.”
    7. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce.
      Sarcasmcutsto the quick.
      • 1829,Elijah Hoole,Personal Narrative of a Mission to the South of India, from 1820 to 1828:
        she feared she should laugh to hear an European preach in Tamul, but on the contrary, wascutto the heart by what she heard
    8. Tocastrateorgeld.
      tocuta horse
    9. Tointerfere,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.
  3. (transitive,social)Toseparate,remove,rejectorreduce.
    1. Toseparateoromit,in a situation where one waspreviouslyassociated.
      Travis wascutfrom the team.
    2. Toabridgeorshortena work; to remove a portion of arecordingduringediting.
    3. Toreduce,especially intentionally.
      They're going tocutsalaries by fifteen percent.
      • 2013May 17,George Monbiot,“Money just makes the rich suffer”,inThe Guardian Weekly,volume188,number23,page19:
        In order to grant the rich these pleasures, the social contract is reconfigured. The welfare state is dismantled. Essential public services arecutso that the rich may pay less tax.
      • 2022January 12, Nigel Harris, “Comment: Unhappy start to 2022”, inRAIL,number948,page 3:
        The principle of prioritising longer-distance trains bycuttingservices to wayside stations (often leading directly to their closure) is not new.
    4. To absent oneself from (a class, an appointment, etc.).
      Icutfifth period to hang out with Angela.
      • 1833,Thomas Hamilton,Men and Manners in America:
        An English tradesman is always solicitous tocutthe shop whenever he can do so with impunity.
    5. (intransitive,slang)Toleaveabruptly.
      Synonym:(slang)dip
      I gottacutbut I'll see you tomorrow, okay?
      • 2023September 3, @tamashbean,Twitter‎[2],archived fromthe originalon25 April 2024:
        my friends and i had gone for lunch but i had tocutearly 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 cry
  4. (transitive,social)Toignoreas a socialrebufforsnub.
    Synonym:spear
    After the incident at the dinner party, people started tocuthim on the street.
    • 1903,Samuel Barber,The Way of All Fleshchapter 73:
      At first it had been very painful to him to meet any of his old friends, [...] but this soon passed; either theycuthim, or hecutthem; it was not nice beingcutfor 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 wellcut.
    • 1973,Gore Vidal,Burr:
      The ordinary people greet him(Aaron Burr)warmly while the respectable folk tendto cuthim dead.
    • 27 September 2013,Kane, Kathryn,The Regency Redingote BlogThe Cut: The Ultimate & Final Social Weapon:
      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 cuthim.’ "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.
  5. (intransitive,film)To make an abrupt transition from onesceneor image to another.
    The camera thencutto the woman on the front row who was clearly overcome and crying tears of joy.
  6. (transitive,film)Toedita film by selectingtakesfrom originalfootage.
  7. (transitive,computing)Toremove(text, a picture, etc.) and place inmemoryin order topasteat a later time.
    Select the text,cutit, and then paste it in the other application.
  8. (intransitive)Toenteraqueuein the wrong place.
    One student kept trying tocutin front of the line.
    • 2010June 8, guy & rOdd, “Brevity”, ingocomics.com‎[3]:
      Excuse me, do you mind if Icut?!
  9. (intransitive)Tointersectorcrossin such a way as todivideinhalfor nearly so.
    This roadcutsright through downtown.
    • 2011January 18, Daniel Taylor, “Manchester City 4 Leicester City 2”,inGuardian Online:
      Neither Joleon Lescott nor Vieira appeared to make any contact with Dyer as hecutbetween them.
    • 2013August 16,John Vidal,“Dams endanger ecology of Himalayas”,inThe Guardian Weekly,volume189,number10,page 8:
      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 theycutthrough some of the world's deepest valleys.
  10. (transitive,cricket)To make the ball spin sideways by running one'sfingersdown the side of the ball while bowling it.(Can we add anexamplefor this sense?)
  11. (transitive,cricket)Todeflect(a bowled ball) to theoff,with a chopping movement of thebat.
  12. (intransitive)To changedirectionsuddenly.
    The football playercutto his left to evade a tackle.
  13. (transitive,intransitive)Todivideapackofplaying cardsinto two parts, often followed by placing the two parts back together in the opposite order.
    If youcutthen I'll deal.
  15. (transitive,slang)Tomake,tonegotiate,toconclude.
    I'llcuta check for you.
    I didn't deserve it, but hecutme a deal.
    tocuta deal, tocutdeals
    tocuta fantastic deal, tocuta raw deal
  16. (transitive,slang)Todiluteoradulteratesomething, especially a recreational drug.
    The best malt whiskies are improved if they arecutwith a dash of water.
    The bartendercutshis beer to save money and now it's all watery.
    Drug dealers sometimescutcocaine with lidocaine.
  17. (transitive)To exhibit (a figure having some trait).
    • 2011January 25, Paul Fletcher, “Arsenal 3-0 Ipswich (agg. 3-1)”,inBBC:
      Arsenal were starting to work up a head of steam and Tractor Boys boss Paul Jewellcutan increasingly frustrated figure on the touchline.
  18. (transitive)Tostop,disengage,orcease.
    Synonym:cut out
    The schoolchildren were told tocutthe noise.
    Cutthe engines when the plane comes to a halt!
  19. (transitive)Torenounceorgive up.
    Synonym:cut out
  20. (sports)To drive (aball) to one side, as by (in billiards or croquet) hitting itfinewith another ball, or (in tennis) striking it with the racket inclined.
  22. (bodybuilding)Tolosebody mass,aiming to keepmusclebut losebody fat.
    Coordinate term:bulk
  23. To perform (an elaborate dancing movement etc.).
    tocut a caper
    • 1863,Sheridan Le Fanu,The House by the Churchyard:
      'Choke, chicken, there's more a-hatching,' said Miss Mag, in a sort of aside, andcuttinga flic-flac with a merry devilish laugh, and a wink to Puddock.
  24. (slang,intransitive)Tomove.
    Hecutdown the street.

Synonyms

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Troponyms

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Derived terms

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single words
multiword phrases

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

See also

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Adjective

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cut(comparativemorecut,superlativemostcut)

  1. (participial adjective)Having beencut.
    • 1958November 7 [1956],Excerpts from "Economic Geography of the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region"‎[4],United States Joint Publications Research Service,→OCLC,page58:
      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 ofcuttimber from the A-erh-t'ai-shan, and the cereal products of Wu-lan-hao-t'e.
  2. Reduced.
    Thepitcherthrew acutfastballthat was slower than his usualpitch.
    Cutbrandy is a liquor made of brandy and hard grain liquor.
  3. (of a gem)Carvedinto ashape;notraw.
  4. (Can weclean up(+)this sense?)(cricket,of a shot)Played with ahorizontalbatto hit the ball backward ofpoint.
  5. (bodybuilding)Having musculardefinitionin which individual groups ofmusclefibers stand out among larger muscles.
    • 1988,Steve Holman, “Christian Conquers Columbus”, inIronman,47 (6):28-34:
      Or how 'bout Shane DiMora? Could he possibly get rip-roaringcutthis time around?
    • 2010,Bill Geiger, “6-pack Abs in 9 Weeks”, inReps!,17:106:
      That's the premise of the overload principle, and it must be applied, even to ab training, if you're going to develop acut,ripped midsection.
  6. (informal)Circumcisedor having been the subject offemale genital mutilation.
  7. (Australia,New Zealand,slang)Upset,angry;emotionallyhurt.[from 20th c.]
    • 1999,Julia Leigh,The Hunter,Faber & Faber 2012, p. 41:
      ‘Here y'are,’ says the happy butcher, dragging out a bucket. ‘Good riddance. But me dogs'll becuttonight, I tell ya. That's their grub.’
  9. (slang,New Zealand,formerlyUK)Intoxicatedas a result ofdrugsoralcohol.[1]
    Synonyms:seeThesaurus:drunk

Derived terms

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Terms related tocut(adjective)

Translations

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Noun

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cut(countableanduncountable,pluralcuts)

Acut(graph theory sense) in a graph with five vertices, which partitioned it into two subgroups (one with white vertices and another with black vertices).
  1. The act ofcutting.
    He made a finecutwith his sword.
  2. Theresultofcutting.
    a smooth or clearcut
  4. An opening resulting from cutting; anincisionorwound.
    Look at thiscuton my finger!
  5. A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove.
    acutfor a railroad
    • 1603,Richard Knolles,The Generall Historie of the Turkes,[…],London:[…]Adam Islip,→OCLC:
      which greatcutor ditch Sesostris[…]purposed to have made a great deale wider and deeper.
    1. An artificialnavigationchannelas distinguished from anavigableriver.
  6. Ashareorportionofprofits.
    The bank robbers disbanded after everyone got theircutof the money.
    • 2022April 6, Andrew R. Chow, “Inside Epic's Unreal Engine 5”, inTime‎[5]:
      Starting today, UE5 is free to download and use, with Epic taking a 5%cuton products created with it only after they earn over $1 million in gross revenue.
  7. Adecrease.
    Antonym:hike(used in same contexts);increase
    The boss took a 5% paycut.
  8. (cricket)Abatsman's shot played with aswingingmotion of the bat, to hit the ballbackwardofpoint.
  9. (cricket)Sidewaysmovementof the ball through theaircaused by afast bowlerimpartingspinto the ball.
  10. (sports)Inlawn tennis,etc., a slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin thus given to the ball.
  11. (golf)In astroke playcompetition, 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.
  12. (especiallytheater,film)A passage omitted or to be omitted from a play, movie script, speech, etc.
    Thedirectorasked thecastto note down the followingcuts.
  13. (film)A particular version oreditof a film.
    the director'scut
  14. (card games)The act or right of dividing a deck of playing cards.
    The player next to the dealer makes acutby placing the bottom half on top.
  15. (card games)The card obtained by dividing the pack.
  16. Themannerorstylein which agarmentor anarticleofclothingisfashioned.
    I like thecutof that suit.
  17. Aslaborslice,especially of meat.
    That’s our finestcutof meat.
  18. (fencing)An attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with its edge or point.
  19. A deliberatesnub,typically a refusal to return abowor other acknowledgement of acquaintance.
    • 1819,Washington Irving,(Rip Van Winkle)::
      Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkindcutindeed.
    • 1847March 30,Herman Melville,Omoo: A Narrative of Adventures in the South Seas;[…],London:John Murray,[…],→OCLC:
      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 thecutdirect, and lounging by without even nodding. He must have taken me for part of the landscape.
  20. Anunkindact; acruelty.
  21. (slang)Aninsult
    • 1966-1969,Lou Sullivan,personal diary, quoted in2019,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 yellincuts,"queer" seemed to be the favorite they all began chanting it. "Hey, yer not gonna serve those queers, are ya Howie?"
  22. A definable part, such as an individualsong,of arecording,particularly ofcommercialrecords,audiotapes,CDs,etc.
    The drummer on the lastcutof their CD is not identified.
    • 1975,Billboard,volume87,number24,page50:
      Bestcuts:"The Evil Dude," "Kung Fu, Too!" "Mama Love," "New Orleans" (with a punchy vocal by Teresa Brewer).
  23. (archaeology)Atruncation,a context that represents a moment in time when other archaeologicaldepositswere removed for the creation of some feature such as aditchorpit.
  24. Ahaircut.
  25. (graph theory)Thepartitionof agraph’sverticesinto two subgroups.
  26. (Internet)A dividing line in aTumblrpost, the content below which is hidden until the reader reveals it.
    That's theTL;DR,anyway. You can find a more detailed version under thecut.
  27. (rail transport)A string of railway cars coupled together, shorter than a train.
    • 1960June, “Talking of Trains: The new Margam yard”, inTrains Illustrated,page323:
      The shunter has a lightweight portable radio transmitter by which, as he uncouples an incoming train intocutsfor marshalling, he informs the Traffic Office of the number of wagons in eachcutand its siding; [...].
  28. An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving.
    a book illustrated with finecuts
  29. (obsolete)A commonworkhorse;agelding.
  30. (slang,dated)The failure of acollegeofficerorstudentto be present at any appointed exercise.
  31. Askeinofyarn.
    • 1632,North Riding Record:
      Two women for stealing 30cuttesof linen yarn.
  32. (slang,uncountable)That which is used todiluteoradulteratea recreational drug.
    Synonym:mix
    Don't buy his coke: it's full ofcut.
  33. (fashion)A notch shaved into an eyebrow.
  34. (bodybuilding)Atime periodwhen oneattemptsto losefatwhileretainingmusclemass.
  36. (slang)A hidden, secluded,or secure place.
    • 1992September 22,Da Lench Mob(lyrics and music), “Guerillas in tha Mist” (track 6), inGuerillas in tha Mist‎[6]:
      I'm laying in acut'bout to shoot me a mutt
    • 2003January 7, “In da Club” (track 5), inGet Rich or Die Tryin'‎[7],performed by50 Cent:
      I see Xzibit in thecut,hey, nigga, roll that weed up.
    • 2008March 9,David Simon,“-30-”,inThe Wire,season 5, episode10(television production), spoken by Slim Charles (Anwan Glover), via HBO:
      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 thecut.
    • 2010April 14,Wiz Khalifa,“In theCut”,inKush & Orange Juice‎[8]:
      In thecut,in thecut,rolling doobies up
    • 2012,Honey Cocaine,In The Cut:
      Bitch I'm out, catch me chillin'in the cut.Me and my homies swag it outin the cut.It's a party going downin the cut.
    • 2016,Drake (lyrics and music), “Summer Sixteen"”:
      Famous as fuck, but I’m stillin the cutwhen they round up the troops.
    • 2021,Redferrin, "Stuck":
      She got me stuck. Like a truck, deep mud, deep ruts, way out in thecut.She got me stuck. Even four-wheel drive won't work this time, yeah.
    • 2023January 9th, Santana Hannah, in JOLLY, "Brits try REAL Southern Fried Chicken for the first time!",YouTube, 11:27:
      We're off the beaten path from River Street downtown. So, it's, we're back here in thecut.
  37. (petrochemistry)The range oftemperaturesused todistilla particularmixtureofhydrocarbonsfromcrude oil.
  38. Asleevelessvestworn by members of amotorcycle club.

Derived terms

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Terms derived fromcut(noun)

Translations

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The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions atWiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.
Translations to be checked

Interjection

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cut!

  1. (filmandtelevision)An instruction toceaserecording.
    Antonym:action

Translations

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Translations

See also

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  • nut-cut(probably etymologically unrelated?)

References

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  1. ^“Cut” in [John Camden Hotten],The Slang Dictionary[…],5th edition, London:Chatto and Windus,1874,page 137.

Anagrams

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Chinese

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Etymology

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FromEnglishcut.

Pronunciation

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Verb

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cut(Hong Kong Cantonese)

  1. tocut;toincise;todivide
    Synonym:Thiết
    cutKhai嚿Ngưu bái／cutKhai嚿Ngưu bái[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1hoi1gau6ngau4paa4-2[Jyutping]― to cut a steak into pieces
  2. tocut;toreduce
    Synonym:Tước giảm／Tước giảm(xuējiǎn)
    cutbudget[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1bat1zik4[Jyutping]― to reduce allocated budget
  3. toenteraqueueat the wrong place; to switch directions suddenly
    cutTuyến／cutTuyến[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1sin3[Jyutping]― to change lanes when driving
  4. toterminate;toend;tosever
    cutTuyến／cutTuyến[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1sin3[Jyutping]― to end a call
    cutĐan／cutĐan[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1daan1[Jyutping]― to terminate an order
    cutTảTrươngTạpCừ／cutTảTrươngTạpCừ[Hong Kong Cantonese]―kat1zo2zoeng1kaat1keoi5[Jyutping]― to cancel a credit card

Interjection

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cut(Hong Kong Cantonese)

  1. (filmandtelevision)An instruction toceaserecording

Derived terms

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References

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Irish

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Noun

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cutm(genitive singularcuit,nominative pluralcuit)

  1. Cois Fharraigeform ofcat(“cat”)

Declension

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Declension ofcut

First declension

Bare forms:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative cut cuit
Vocative achuit achuta
Genitive cuit cut
Dative cut cuit

Forms with thedefinite article:

Case Singular Plural
Nominative ancut nacuit
Genitive anchuit nagcut
Dative leis angcut

donchut

leis nacuit

Mutation

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Irish mutation
Radical Lenition Eclipsis
cut chut gcut
Note:Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

Further reading

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Kiput

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Etymology

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FromProto-North Sarawak*likud,fromProto-Malayo-Polynesian*likud.

Noun

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cut

  1. back(the rear of body)

Lower Sorbian

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Pronunciation

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Verb

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cut

  1. supineofcuś

Welsh

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Pronunciation

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Etymology 1

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Borrowed fromMiddle English[Term?],fromOld Northern Frenchcot,cote(“hut, cottage”).

Noun

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cutm(pluralcutiau)

  1. hut,shed;cottage,hovel;pen,coop;cage
Derived terms
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Etymology 2

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FromEnglishkite.

Noun

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cutm(pluralcutiaid)

  1. Alternative form ofcud(“kite”)

Mutation

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Welsh mutation
radical soft nasal aspirate
cut gut nghut chut
Note:Some of these forms may be hypothetical. Not every possible mutated form of every word actually occurs.

References

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  • R. J. Thomas, G. A. Bevan, P. J. Donovan, A. Hawke et al., editors (1950–present), “cut”,inGeiriadur Prifysgol Cymru Online(in Welsh), University of Wales Centre for Advanced Welsh & Celtic Studies
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