cutting

American  

[kuht-ing] / ˈkʌt ɪŋ /

noun

1. the act of a person or thing that cuts.

2. something cut, cut off, or cut out.

3. Horticulture. a piece, as a root, stem, or leaf, cut from a plant and used for propagation.

4. something made by cutting, as a recording.

5. a form of repetitive self-injury in which a person deliberately cuts the skin, as to cope with stress or negative emotions.

6. Manège.

   1. the removal of a specific animal from a herd of cattle, as performed by a ranch horse.

   2. a competitive exhibition in which horses demonstrate this skill.

7. Chiefly British. a clipping from a newspaper, magazine, etc.

8. British. a trenchlike excavation, especially through a hill, as one made in constructing a highway.

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adjective

1. able to cut or slice.

   a cutting blade.

2. piercing, as a wind.

3. wounding the feelings severely; sarcastic.

   Synonyms:

   sardonic, acid, mordant, biting, caustic

4. Manège. relating to or noting a horse bred or trained for the ranching task of separating a specific animal from a herd of cattle, or the competitive exhibition of this skill: The last day of the rodeo was dedicated to the cutting competition and barrel racing finals.

   Champion cutting horses are bred for agility.

   The last day of the rodeo was dedicated to the cutting competition and barrel racing finals.

cutting British  

/ ˈkʌtɪŋ /

noun

1. a piece cut off from the main part of something

2. horticulture

   1. a method of vegetative propagation in which a part of a plant, such as a stem or leaf, is induced to form its own roots

   2. a part separated for this purpose

3. Also called (esp US and Canadian): clipping.  an article, photograph, etc, cut from a newspaper or other publication

4. the editing process by which a film is cut and made

5. an excavation in a piece of high land for a road, railway, etc, enabling it to remain at approximately the same level

6. informal sharp-wittedness

   there is no cutting in him

7. (modifier) designed for or adapted to cutting; edged; sharp

   a cutting tool

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adjective

1. keen; piercing

   a cutting wind

2. tending to hurt the feelings

   a cutting remark

Other Word Forms

• cuttingly
  adverb
• cuttingness
  noun
• noncutting
  adjective
• self-cutting
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of cutting

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at cut, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

In one ad, Pratt showed the city-owned mayoral mansion in leafy Windsor Square before cutting to a silver Airstream trailer on an empty lot.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 21, 2026

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said: "By giving every child free bus travel throughout August and cutting tariffs on everyday food items, we're putting money back into people's pockets and making life that bit easier."

From BBC • May 21, 2026

Simple claims could be handled by a legal officer of the court, rather than a judge - vastly cutting the time and expense.

From BBC • May 20, 2026

Cloudflare said earlier this month that it was cutting about 1,100 jobs as the cybersecurity company focuses on roles that can directly benefit from AI usage.

From Barron's • May 20, 2026

I feel a stitch cutting into my side like I’m a ninety-year-old in the middle of a marathon.

From "Kwame Crashes the Underworld" by Craig Kofi Farmer

Related Words

• acerbic
• barbed
• biting
• caustic
• piercing
• pointed
• sarcastic
• sardonic
• scathing
• stinging
• trenchant