cutting

Multiple Entries:
  cutting    cut  

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cutting/ˈkʌtɪŋ/

▶noun

• 1 a piece cut off from something.

  ■ Brit. an article or other piece cut from a newspaper.

  ■ a piece cut from a plant for propagation.

• 2 Brit. an open passage excavated through higher ground for a railway, road, or canal.

▶adjective

• 1 capable of cutting.

• 2 (of a remark) hurtful.

– derivatives
cuttingly adverb.

Concise Oxford English Dictionary © 2008 Oxford University Press:
cut/kʌt/

▶verb (cutting; past and past part. cut)

• 1 make an opening, incision, or wound in (something) with a sharp tool or object.

• 2 remove (something) from something larger by using a sharp implement.

• 3 divide into pieces with a knife or other sharp implement.

  ■ (cut something down) cause something to fall by cutting through at the base.

• 4 make or form by using a sharp tool to remove material.

  ■ (often as adj. cut) make or design (a garment) in a particular way: an impeccably cut suit.

• 5 reduce the length of (something) by using a sharp implement.

• 6 reduce the amount or quantity of: the new system will cut costs.

  ■ Computing delete (part of a text).

  ■ end or interrupt the provision of (a supply).

  ■ N. Amer. absent oneself deliberately from: Rod was cutting class.

• 7 (of a line) cross or intersect (another line).

• 8 stop filming or recording.

  ■ move to another shot in a film.

  ■ make (a film) into a coherent whole by removing or reordering parts.

• 9 make (a sound recording).

• 10 divide a pack of playing cards by lifting a portion from the top.

• 11 strike or kick (a ball) quickly and abruptly.

  ■ Golf slice (the ball).

  ■ Cricket hit (the ball) to the off side with the bat held almost horizontally; play such a stroke against (the bowler).

  ■ Cricket (of the ball) turn sharply on pitching.

• 12 mix (an illegal drug) with another substance: speed cut with rat poison.

• 13 (cut it) N. Amer. informal come up to expectations. [shortened form of the idiom cut the mustard.]

▶noun

• 1 an act of cutting.

  ■ a reduction in amount or size.

• 2 a result of cutting: a cut on his jaw.

  ■ a piece of meat cut from a carcass.

  ■ informal a share of profits.

  ■ a version of a film after editing.

• 3 the way or style in which a garment or the hair is cut: the elegant cut of his jacket.

– phrases
be cut out for (or to be) [usu. with neg.] informal have exactly the right qualities for a particular role.
a cut above informal noticeably superior to.
cut and dried (of a situation) completely settled. [C18: orig. used to distinguish the herbs of herbalists' shops from growing herbs.]
cut and paste Computing move (text) by cutting it from one part of the text and inserting it in another.
cut and run informal speedily retreat from a difficult situation rather than deal with it. [orig. a naut. phr., meaning ‘cut the anchor cable because of an emergency and make sail immediately’.]
cut and thrust a difficult or competitive atmosphere or environment: the cut and thrust of political debate. [orig. a fencing phr.]
cut both ways (of a point) serve both sides of an argument.

■ (of an action or process) have both good and bad effects.

cut corners do something perfunctorily so as to save time or money.
cut a dash Brit. be stylish or impressive in one's dress or behaviour.
cut someone dead completely ignore someone.
cut from the same cloth of the same nature.
cut in line N. Amer. jump the queue.
cut it out informal stop it.
cut the mustard informal reach the required standard.
cut no ice informal have no influence or effect.
cut a (or the) rug N. Amer. informal dance, especially in an energetic or accomplished way.
cut one's teeth acquire initial experience of a sphere of activity.
cut a tooth (of a baby) have a tooth appear through the gum.
cut to the chase N. Amer. informal come to the point.
cut up rough Brit. informal behave in an aggressive or awkward way.
make (or miss) the cut Golf reach (or fail to reach) a required score, thus avoiding (or ensuring) elimination from the last two rounds of a four-round tournament.

– phrasal verbs
cut in

• 1 interrupt.

• 2 pull in too closely in front of another vehicle.

• 3 (of a motor or other device) begin operating, especially when triggered automatically.

cut someone in informal include someone in a deal and give them a share of the profits.
cut someone off

• 1 break the connection during a telephone call.

• 2 deprive someone of a supply of power, water, etc.

• 3 disinherit someone.

cut something off block the usual means of access to a place.
cut out

• 1 (of an engine) suddenly stop operating.

• 2 N. Amer. informal leave quickly.

cut someone out exclude someone.
cut up N. Amer. informal behave in a mischievous or unruly manner.
cut someone up

• 1 informal (of a driver) overtake someone and pull in too closely.

• 2 N. Amer. informal criticize someone severely.

– origin ME (prob. existing, although not recorded, in OE); prob. of Gmc origin.