Cut

1. To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to divide.
2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering; to hew; to mow or reap.
3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as, to cut the hair; to cut the nails.
4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.
5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.; to carve; to hew out.
6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce; to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.
7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right angles.
8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in the street; to cut one's acquaintance.
9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a recitation. etc.
10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat.
11. (Billiards, etc.) To drive (an object ball) to either side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue ball or another object ball.
12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) To strike (a ball) with the racket inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain spin on the ball.
13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with another ball.
To cut a caper .
See under Caper.
To cut the cards ,
to divide a pack of cards into portions, in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change the cards to be dealt.
To cut both ways ,
to have effects both advantageous and disadvantageous.
To cut corners ,
to deliberately do an incomplete or imperfect job in order to save time or money.
To cut a dash or To cut a figure ,
to make a display of oneself; to give a conspicuous impression.
To cut down
1. To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate.
2. To put down; to abash; to humble.
3. To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down expenses.
To cut the knot or To cut the Gordian knot ,
to dispose of a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary action, rather than by skill or patience.
To cut lots ,
to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw lots.
To cut off
1. To sever; to separate.
2. To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to destroy.
3. To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam engine.
4. To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat.
5. To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate.
To cut out
1. To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a piece from a board.
2. To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a garment.
3. To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out work for another day.
4. To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to cut out a rival.
5. To debar.
6. To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or from under the guns of an enemy.
7. to separate from the midst of a number; as, to cut out a steer from a herd; to cut out a car from a train.
8. to discontinue; as, to cut out smoking.
To cut to pieces
1. To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces.
2. To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces.
To cut a play (Drama),
to shorten it by leaving out passages, to adapt it for the stage.
To cut rates (Railroads, etc.),
to reduce the charges for transportation below the rates established between competing lines.
To cut short ,
to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a sudden termination.
To cut stick ,
to make off clandestinely or precipitately.
To cut teeth ,
to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce through the gum and appear.
To have cut one's eyeteeth ,
to be sharp and knowing.
To cut one's wisdom teeth ,
to come to years of discretion.
To cut under ,
to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor in trade; more commonly referred to as undercut.
To cut up
1. To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes.
2. To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut up a book or its author by severe criticism.
3. To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the death of his friend cut him up terribly.

1. To do the work of an edged tool; to serve in dividing or gashing; as, a knife cuts well.
2. To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument.
3. To perform the operation of dividing, severing, incising, intersecting, etc.; to use a cutting instrument.
4. To make a stroke with a whip.
5. To interfere, as a horse.
6. To move or make off quickly.
7. To divide a pack of cards into two portion to decide the deal or trump, or to change the order of the cards to be dealt.
To cut across ,
to pass over or through in the most direct way; as, to cut across a field.
To cut and run ,
to make off suddenly and quickly; -- from the cutting of a ship's cable, when there is not time to raise the anchor.
To cut in or To cut into ,
to interrupt; to join in anything suddenly.
To cut up
1. To play pranks.
2. To divide into portions well or ill; to have the property left at one's death turn out well or poorly when divided among heirs, legatees, etc.

1. An opening made with an edged instrument; a cleft; a gash; a slash; a wound made by cutting; as, a sword cut.
2. A stroke or blow or cutting motion with an edged instrument; a stroke or blow with a whip.
3. That which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark or criticism, or a sarcasm; personal discourtesy, as neglecting to recognize an acquaintance when meeting him; a slight.
4. A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove; as, a cut for a railroad.
5. The surface left by a cut; as, a smooth or clear cut.
6. A portion severed or cut off; a division; as, a cut of beef; a cut of timber.
7. An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving; as, a book illustrated with fine cuts.
8. Manner in which a thing is cut or formed; shape; style; fashion; as, the cut of a garment.
9. A common work horse; a gelding.
10. The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise.
11. A skein of yarn.
12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) A slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin so given to the ball.
13. (Cricket) A stroke on the off side between point and the wicket; also, one who plays this stroke.
1. The act of dividing a pack cards.
2. The right to divide; as, whose cut is it?
A cut in rates (Railroad),
a reduction in fare, freight charges, etc., below the established rates.
A short cut ,
a cross route which shortens the way and cuts off a circuitous passage.
The cut of one's jib ,
the general appearance of a person.
To draw cuts ,
to draw lots, as of paper, etc., cut unequal lengths.

1. Gashed or divided, as by a cutting instrument.
2. Formed or shaped as by cutting; carved.
3. Overcome by liquor; tipsy.
Cut and dried ,
prepered beforehand; not spontaneous.
Cut glass ,
glass having a surface ground and polished in facets or figures.
Cut nail ,
a nail cut by machinery from a rolled plate of iron, in distinction from a wrought nail.
Cut stone ,
stone hewn or chiseled to shape after having been split from the quarry.