cutoff

[ kuht-awf, -of ]

noun

1. an act or instance of cutting off.
2. something that cuts off.
3. a road, passage, etc., that leaves another, usually providing a shortcut:

   Let's take the cutoff to Baltimore.

4. a new and shorter channel formed in a river by the water cutting across a bend in its course.
5. a point, time, or stage serving as the limit beyond which something is no longer effective, applicable, or possible.
6. cutoffs, Also cut-offs. shorts made by cutting the legs off a pair of trousers, especially jeans, above the knees and often leaving the cut edges ragged.
7. Accounting. a selected point at which records are considered complete for the purpose of settling accounts, taking inventory, etc.
8. Baseball. an infielder's interception of a ball thrown from the outfield in order to relay it to home plate or keep a base runner from advancing.
9. Machinery. arrest of the steam moving the pistons of an engine, usually occurring before the completion of a stroke.
10. Electronics. (in a vacuum tube) the minimum grid potential preventing an anode current.
11. Rocketry. the termination of propulsion, either by shutting off the propellant flow or by stopping the combustion of the propellant.

adjective

1. being or constituting the limit or ending:

   a cutoff date for making changes.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cutoff¹

First recorded in 1735–45; noun use of verb phrase cut off

Example Sentences

Wallen, while no doubt enjoying the perks of stardom, still appears to be a regular dude with his cutoff shirts, mullet and rebellious yet laid-back attitude.

From Washington Post

When people are trying to lose weight, they often invent or adopt rules to keep them from eating — and a common one is to not eat after dark, or to have a cutoff time for eating.

From Washington Post

The ministry said the cutoff would include a “just transition” for those workers and the regions affected.

From Fortune

Matthew Hertz, co-founder of logistics consulting firm second Second Marathon, said that he’s advising startups to consider December 11 as the cutoff for when orders need to be placed by, if they want customers to receive it by December 25.

From Digiday

Existing developers can still enroll after that cutoff, but things get a bit more complicated, with reduced fees generally kicking in midway through the next fiscal calendar month.

From TechCrunch

Once again Russia brandishes the threat of a gas cutoff to squeeze Kiev and coerce Europe.

From The Daily Beast

Some of the ranges gave a height requirement in lieu of an age cutoff.

From The Daily Beast

As far as underage attendees, Dottley remains adamant that 18 was the cutoff point.

From The Daily Beast

Heidi Klum wore a pair of the Gizeh sandals with cutoff jean shorts, and Ashley Olsen wore them just about everywhere.

From The Daily Beast

U.S. policy stipulates that military coups trigger an automatic cutoff of bi-lateral military assistance.

From The Daily Beast

There is a complete crack from this so-called cutoff to the top right of the windshield right above the view line of the driver.

From Project Gutenberg

I saw him coming kind of toward me around that cutoff through there, and he never did look at me.

From Project Gutenberg

The distortions visible on Mars, as well as the one from Mercury before its cutoff, had been worked out directionally.

From Project Gutenberg

Never mind whether she can or not, truly; but that does not bind us down from taking the cutoff.

From Project Gutenberg

But Ross refused to accept the cutoff this time, determined to pull Ashe back into the familiar world of the here and now.

From Project Gutenberg