cutcut1 /kʌt/ ●●● verb (past tense and past participle cut, present participle cutting) 
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USE KNIFE/SCISSORS [intransitive, transitive] to divide something into two or more pieces using a knife or scissors: 
Do you want me to cut the cake? Abby, go cut Grandpa a piece of pie. Cut the cheese into cubes. He cut the tomato in half/two. Cut along the dotted line.THESAURUSchop (up) – to cut meat, vegetables, or wood into piecesslice – to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin piecesdice – to cut vegetables or meat into small square piecespeel – to cut the outside part off an apple, potato, etc.carve – to cut pieces from a large piece of meatshred – to cut vegetables into small thin piecesgrate – to cut cheese, vegetables, etc. into small pieces using a grater2MAKE SHORTER [transitive] to make something shorter using a knife, scissors, etc.: We cut the grass once a week. Did you get your hair cut?THESAURUSsaw – to cut wood, using a saw (=tool with a row of sharp points)chop down – to make a tree fall down by cutting itmow – to cut grass using a special machine: I need to mow the lawn.trim – to cut off a small amount of something to make it look neater, for example hair or a bushsnip – to cut something quickly, using scissors3REDUCE [transitive] to reduce the amount of something: You need to cut the amount of fat in your diet. The company had to close several factories to cut costs. The number of soldiers had to be cut in half.THESAURUSreduce, lower, decrease, slash, roll back► see thesaurus at reduce4INJURE [transitive] to injure yourself or someone else with a knife or something else that is sharp: He cut his finger on a piece of broken glass. She fell and cut her head open.5cut somebody free/loose to cut something such as a rope or metal in order to let someone escape: Firemen were carefully cutting the driver free from the wreckage.6MAKE A HOLE/MARK [transitive] to make a mark in the surface of something, open something, etc. using a sharp tool: She used a saw to cut a hole in the ice. Strange letters had been cut into the stone.7GO A QUICK WAY [intransitive] to go somewhere by a quicker and more direct way than usual: We cut through/across our neighbor’s yard.8ON A COMPUTER [transitive] computers to remove writing, a picture, etc. from a computer document: Cut and paste the picture into a new file (=remove it and move it to another place).9REMOVE PARTS FROM A MOVIE, ETC. [transitive] to remove parts from a movie, book, speech, etc.: The original version was cut by more than 30 minutes.10cut corners to do something less well than you should, in order to save time, effort, or money: Parents are worried that the city is cutting corners in education.11cut class/school to deliberately not go to class or school12cut your losses to stop doing something that is failing so that you do not waste any more money, time, or effort: He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.13cut something short to end something earlier than you had planned: His career was cut short by a back injury.SPOKEN PHRASES14not cut it to not be good enough to do something: Barry’s just not cutting it as a journalist.15cut it close to leave yourself just enough time or money to do something: He cut it pretty close, but he made it to the airport all right.[Origin: 1200–1300 From an unrecorded Old English cytan] → cut/give somebody some slack at slack2cut across phrasal verb if a problem or feeling cuts across different groups of people, they are all affected by it: Basketball’s popularity cuts across racial lines.cut back phrasal verb to reduce the amount, size, cost, etc. of something: Education spending cannot be cut back any further. The company is attempting to cut back on expenses.cut down phrasal verb1to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health: I’ve always smoked, but I’m trying to cut down. I’m trying to cut down on the fat in my diet.2cut something ↔ down to reduce the amount of something: Email cuts down the amount of paper passed between staff. By getting the design right, you can cut down on accidents.3cut something ↔ down to cut a tree so that the whole of it falls to the ground: Beautiful old oaks had been cut down to build houses.cut in phrasal verb cut in front/cut in line to unfairly go in front of other people who are waiting to do something: Some idiot cut in front of me on the freeway and almost caused an accident.cut off phrasal verb1cut something ↔ off to separate something by cutting it away from the main part: Cut the top off a large ripe pineapple. His finger was cut off in the accident.2cut something ↔ off to stop the supply of something: They’re going to cut off our electricity if you don’t pay that bill.3be/get cut off to be unable to finish talking to someone because something is wrong with the telephone connection4be cut off if a place is cut off, it is difficult or impossible to get to or leave: The ski resort was cut off by a heavy snowfall.5cut somebody off to interrupt someone: He cut her off in mid-sentence.cut out phrasal verb1cut something ↔ out to remove something by cutting it with a knife or scissors: The children cut star shapes out of colored paper.2cut it/that out! spoken used in order to tell someone to stop doing something that is annoying you: Cut that out, you two, or you’ll go to your rooms.3not be cut out for something/to be something to not have the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity: I decided I wasn’t really cut out to be a teacher.cut up phrasal verb to cut something into smaller pieces: Cut up two carrots and three potatoes.
1USE KNIFE/SCISSORS [intransitive, transitive] to divide something into two or more pieces using a knife or scissors: Do you want me to cut the cake? Abby, go cut Grandpa a piece of pie. Cut the cheese into cubes. He cut the tomato in half/two. Cut along the dotted line.THESAURUSchop (up) – to cut meat, vegetables, or wood into piecesslice – to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin piecesdice – to cut vegetables or meat into small square piecespeel – to cut the outside part off an apple, potato, etc.carve – to cut pieces from a large piece of meatshred – to cut vegetables into small thin piecesgrate – to cut cheese, vegetables, etc. into small pieces using a grater2MAKE SHORTER [transitive] to make something shorter using a knife, scissors, etc.: We cut the grass once a week. Did you get your hair cut?THESAURUSsaw – to cut wood, using a saw (=tool with a row of sharp points)chop down – to make a tree fall down by cutting itmow – to cut grass using a special machine: I need to mow the lawn.trim – to cut off a small amount of something to make it look neater, for example hair or a bushsnip – to cut something quickly, using scissors3REDUCE [transitive] to reduce the amount of something: You need to cut the amount of fat in your diet. The company had to close several factories to cut costs. The number of soldiers had to be cut in half.THESAURUSreduce, lower, decrease, slash, roll back► see thesaurus at reduce4INJURE [transitive] to injure yourself or someone else with a knife or something else that is sharp: He cut his finger on a piece of broken glass. She fell and cut her head open.5cut somebody free/loose to cut something such as a rope or metal in order to let someone escape: Firemen were carefully cutting the driver free from the wreckage.6MAKE A HOLE/MARK [transitive] to make a mark in the surface of something, open something, etc. using a sharp tool: She used a saw to cut a hole in the ice. Strange letters had been cut into the stone.7GO A QUICK WAY [intransitive] to go somewhere by a quicker and more direct way than usual: We cut through/across our neighbor’s yard.8ON A COMPUTER [transitive] computers to remove writing, a picture, etc. from a computer document: Cut and paste the picture into a new file (=remove it and move it to another place).9REMOVE PARTS FROM A MOVIE, ETC. [transitive] to remove parts from a movie, book, speech, etc.: The original version was cut by more than 30 minutes.10cut corners to do something less well than you should, in order to save time, effort, or money: Parents are worried that the city is cutting corners in education.11cut class/school to deliberately not go to class or school12cut your losses to stop doing something that is failing so that you do not waste any more money, time, or effort: He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.13cut something short to end something earlier than you had planned: His career was cut short by a back injury.SPOKEN PHRASES14not cut it to not be good enough to do something: Barry’s just not cutting it as a journalist.15cut it close to leave yourself just enough time or money to do something: He cut it pretty close, but he made it to the airport all right.[Origin: 1200–1300 From an unrecorded Old English cytan] → cut/give somebody some slack at slack2cut across phrasal verb if a problem or feeling cuts across different groups of people, they are all affected by it: Basketball’s popularity cuts across racial lines.cut back phrasal verb to reduce the amount, size, cost, etc. of something: Education spending cannot be cut back any further. The company is attempting to cut back on expenses.cut down phrasal verb1to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health: I’ve always smoked, but I’m trying to cut down. I’m trying to cut down on the fat in my diet.2cut something ↔ down to reduce the amount of something: Email cuts down the amount of paper passed between staff. By getting the design right, you can cut down on accidents.3cut something ↔ down to cut a tree so that the whole of it falls to the ground: Beautiful old oaks had been cut down to build houses.cut in phrasal verb cut in front/cut in line to unfairly go in front of other people who are waiting to do something: Some idiot cut in front of me on the freeway and almost caused an accident.cut off phrasal verb1cut something ↔ off to separate something by cutting it away from the main part: Cut the top off a large ripe pineapple. His finger was cut off in the accident.2cut something ↔ off to stop the supply of something: They’re going to cut off our electricity if you don’t pay that bill.3be/get cut off to be unable to finish talking to someone because something is wrong with the telephone connection4be cut off if a place is cut off, it is difficult or impossible to get to or leave: The ski resort was cut off by a heavy snowfall.5cut somebody off to interrupt someone: He cut her off in mid-sentence.cut out phrasal verb1cut something ↔ out to remove something by cutting it with a knife or scissors: The children cut star shapes out of colored paper.2cut it/that out! spoken used in order to tell someone to stop doing something that is annoying you: Cut that out, you two, or you’ll go to your rooms.3not be cut out for something/to be something to not have the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity: I decided I wasn’t really cut out to be a teacher.cut up phrasal verb to cut something into smaller pieces: Cut up two carrots and three potatoes.
