- 1 [transitive, intransitive] to make an opening or a wound in something, especially with a sharp tool such as a knife or scissors cut something She cut her finger on a piece of glass. cut yourself He cut himself (= his face) shaving. cut something + adj. She had fallen and cut her head open. cut through something You need a powerful saw to cut through metal. (figurative) The canoe cut through the water. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry See related entries: Injuries remove with knife
- 2 [transitive] to remove something or a part of something, using a knife, etc. cut something (from something) He cut four thick slices from the loaf. a bunch of cut flowers cut somebody something I cut them all a piece of birthday cake. cut something for somebody I cut a piece of birthday cake for them all. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry See related entries: Preparing food
- 3[transitive] cut something (in something) to make or form something by removing material with a knife, etc. The climbers cut steps in the ice. Workmen cut a hole in the pipe. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry divide
- 4 [transitive] to divide something into two or more pieces with a knife, etc. cut something Don't cut the string, untie the knots. cut something in/into something He cut the loaf into thick slices. The bus was cut in two by the train. Now cut the tomatoes in half. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry hair/nails/grass, etc.
- 5 [transitive] to make something shorter by cutting cut something to cut your hair/nails to cut the grass/lawn/hedge cut something + adj. He's had his hair cut really short. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry release
- 6[transitive] to allow somebody to escape from somewhere by cutting the rope, object, etc. that is holding them cut somebody (from something) The injured driver had to be cut from the wreckage. cut somebody + adj. Two survivors were cut free after being trapped for twenty minutes. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry clothing
- 7[transitive, usually passive] cut something + adj. to design and make a piece of clothing in a particular way The swimsuit was cut high in the leg. Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbthick, thinly, cleanly, … prepositionfrom, into, off, … phrasescut and paste, cut somebody/something free, cut somebody/something loose, … See full entry able to cut/be cut
- 8 [intransitive] to be capable of cutting This knife won't cut.
- 9[intransitive] to be capable of being cut Sandstone cuts easily. reduce
- 10 [transitive] to reduce something by removing a part of it cut something to cut prices/taxes/spending/production Buyers will bargain hard to cut the cost of the house they want. cut something by… His salary has been cut by ten per cent. cut something (from…) (to…) Could you cut your essay from 5 000 to 3 000 words? Synonymscutslash cut something back scale something back rationalize downsizeThese words all mean to reduce the amount or size of something, especially of an amount of money or a business.cut to reduce something, especially an amount of money that is demanded, spent, earned, etc. or the size of a business:The President has promised to cut taxes significantly. Buyers will bargain hard to cut the cost of the house they want. His salary has been cut by ten per cent. Could you cut your essay from 5 000 to 3 000 words?slash [often passive] (rather informal) (often used in newspapers) to reduce something by a large amount:The workforce has been slashed by half.cut something back/cut back on something to reduce something, especially an amount of money or business:We had to cut back production.scale something back (especially North American English or business) to reduce something, especially an amount of money or business:The IMF has scaled back its growth forecasts for the next decade.rationalize (British English, business) to make changes to a business or system, in order to make it more efficient, especially by spending less money.downsize (business) to make a company or an organization smaller by reducing the number of jobs in it, in order to reduce costs. Downsize is often used by people who want to avoid saying more obvious words like ‘dismiss’ or ‘make redundant’ because they sound too negative.Patterns to cut/slash/cut back on/scale back/rationalize spending/production to cut/slash/cut back on jobs to cut/slash/downsize the workforce to cut/slash/rationalize the cost of something to cut/slash prices/taxes/the budget to cut something/slash something/cut something back drastically Oxford Collocations Dictionary adverbconsiderably, dramatically, drastically, … verb + cuttry to, manage to, be forced to, … prepositionby, from, to, … See full entry remove
- 11 [transitive] cut something (from something) to remove something from something This scene was cut from the final version of the movie. computing
- 12[intransitive, transitive] cut (something) to delete (= remove) part of a text on a computer screen in order to place it somewhere else You can cut and paste between different programs. See related entries: Using a computer stop
- 13[transitive] cut something (informal) used to tell somebody to stop doing something Cut the chatter and get on with your work! end
- 14[transitive] cut something to completely end a relationship or all communication with somebody synonym sever She has cut all ties with her family. He has refused to cut links with these companies. in movie/TV
- 15[transitive] cut something to prepare a film/movie or tape by removing parts of it or putting them in a different order synonym edit see also director’s cut See related entries: Making films
- 16[intransitive] (usually used in orders) to stop filming or recording The director shouted ‘Cut!’
- 17[intransitive] cut (from something) to something (in films/movies, radio or television) to move quickly from one scene to another The scene cuts from the bedroom to the street. miss class
- 18[transitive] cut something (informal, especially North American English) to stay away from a class that you should go to He's always cutting class. upset
- 19[transitive] cut somebody to hurt somebody emotionally His cruel remarks cut her deeply. in card games
- 20[intransitive, transitive] cut (something) to divide a pack / deck of playing cards by lifting a section from the top, in order to reveal a card to decide who is to play first, etc. Let's cut for dealer. Wordfindercardace, card, cut, deal, gambling, hand, jack, shuffle, suit, trump geometry
- 21 [transitive] cut something (of a line) to cross another line The line cuts the circle at two points. a tooth
- 22[transitive] cut a tooth to have a new tooth beginning to appear through the gum When did she cut her first tooth? a disc, etc.
- 23[transitive] cut a disc, etc. to make a recording of music on a record, CD, etc. The Beatles cut their first disc in 1962. See related entries: Producing music drug
- 24[transitive] cut something (with something) to mix an illegal drug such as heroin with another substance See related entries: Addiction Word OriginMiddle English (probably existing, although not recorded, in Old English); probably of Germanic origin and related to Norwegian kutte and Icelandic kuta ‘cut with a small knife’, kuti ‘small blunt knife’.Extra examples Cut the cake into six pieces. Cut the carrots in half lengthwise. Cut the courgette in half lengthways. Cut the stem cleanly, just beneath a leaf joint. He cut the bread into thin slices. His career was cut short by injury. His thoughts were abruptly cut off by a blinding flash of pain. I can’t cut through this wood. I told the stylist I wanted my hair cut short. I’m trying to cut down on fatty foods. Local authorities have been forced to cut back on expenditure. Make sure you cut the bread nice and thick. She cut the loaf in two and gave me one of the halves. She fell and cut her head open. She picked up the knife and cut into the meat. Social work services have been cut back drastically. Some trees had been cut down. The department has to cut its spending by 30%. The price has been cut from €250 to €175. They were completely cut off from the outside world. Two survivors were cut free after being trapped for twenty minutes. We have managed to cut our costs drastically. We should cut back to previous levels of spending. cutting down trees freshly cut flowers Don’t cut the string; untie the knot. He cut four slices from the loaf. He cut himself shaving. Her hair had been very well cut. I’ll cut the apple in half. I’m going to get/have my hair cut really short. Shall I cut you a piece of cake? The President has promised to cut taxes significantly. You can cut out this whole paragraph without losing any of the impact.Idioms Most idioms containing cut are at the entries for the nouns and adjectives in the idioms, for example cut your losses is at loss.
verb jump to other results
BrE BrE//kʌt//; NAmE NAmE//kʌt//
Verb Forms present simple I / you / we / they cut BrE BrE//kʌt//; NAmE NAmE//kʌt//
he / she / it cuts BrE BrE//kʌts//; NAmE NAmE//kʌts//
past simple cut BrE BrE//kʌt//; NAmE NAmE//kʌt//
past participle cut BrE BrE//kʌt//; NAmE NAmE//kʌt//
-ing form cutting BrE BrE//ˈkʌtɪŋ//; NAmE NAmE//ˈkʌtɪŋ//
Preparing food, Addiction, Producing music, Injuries, Using a computer, Making films
(informal) to make a quick or sudden escape
(informal) to (not) be as good as is expected or needed He won't cut it as a professional singer. Phrasal Verbscut acrosscut awaycut backcut downcut incut offcut outbe cut out forcut throughcut up
Check pronunciation: cut
