- present participle of cut.
cutting
Americannoun
-
the act of a person or thing that cuts.
-
something cut, cut off, or cut out.
-
Horticulture. a piece, as a root, stem, or leaf, cut from a plant and used for propagation.
-
something made by cutting, as a recording.
-
a form of repetitive self-injury in which a person deliberately cuts the skin, as to cope with stress or negative emotions.
-
Manège.
-
the removal of a specific animal from a herd of cattle, as performed by a ranch horse.
-
a competitive exhibition in which horses demonstrate this skill.
-
-
Chiefly British. a clipping from a newspaper, magazine, etc.
-
British. a trenchlike excavation, especially through a hill, as one made in constructing a highway.
adjective
-
able to cut or slice.
a cutting blade.
-
piercing, as a wind.
-
wounding the feelings severely; sarcastic.
-
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.
noun
-
a piece cut off from the main part of something
-
horticulture
-
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
-
a part separated for this purpose
-
-
Also called (esp US and Canadian): clipping. an article, photograph, etc, cut from a newspaper or other publication
-
the editing process by which a film is cut and made
-
an excavation in a piece of high land for a road, railway, etc, enabling it to remain at approximately the same level
-
informal sharp-wittedness
there is no cutting in him
-
(modifier) designed for or adapted to cutting; edged; sharp
a cutting tool
adjective
-
keen; piercing
a cutting wind
-
tending to hurt the feelings
a cutting remark
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of cutting
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at cut, -ing 1, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Now some are thinking of cutting it off.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
Some in Hollywood have a softer stance on artificial intelligence, with studios cutting deals with AI companies, and filmmakers like Martin Scorsese backing AI companies.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
A Windsor-Detroit Bridge Authority invitation announced a ribbon cutting for June 12.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 26, 2026
His truck, selling hot dogs, empanadas and fried shrimp, runs on rechargeable batteries as part of a city pilot aimed at cutting harmful noise and air pollution by harnessing electric energy.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
She was outside, on a narrow path cutting through what looked to be a sleepy market village.
From "Night Owls" by A.R. Vishny
The couple have a seven-year-old son Arlo who they have taught about the tropical plants, and who helps by taking cuttings and sowing seeds.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
"A survival strategy starts with finding clean cuttings in the wild before myrtle rust attacks them and propagating them to grow at safe sites," he said.
From Science Daily ● Mar. 13, 2026
The archive also features letters from huge names including actors Frank Sinatra and Peter Sellers, and photographs taken by director Stanley Kubrick, along with Kretzmer's cuttings from his newspaper work and his theatre career.
From BBC ● Oct. 2, 2025
The unlikeliest tree cuttings from the world over were carried here, adapted and came to elbow out the locals.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 10, 2025
Then we’ll go to the museum where Minou can get some cuttings from Tono for the atrium in her apartment.
From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
