cookie cutter

¹

noun

1. a device, usually of metal, for cutting shaped forms, as circles or stars, for cookies from dough that has been rolled flat.

cookie-cutter

²

[kook-ee-kuht-er]

adjective

1. having the same configuration or look as many others of a given kind; identical.

   rows of cookie-cutter houses.

2. lacking individuality; stereotyped or formulaic.

   a novel filled with cookie-cutter characters.

cookie-cutter

noun

1. a shape with a sharp edge for cutting individual biscuits from a sheet of dough

adjective

1. resembling many others of the same kind

   a row of cookie-cutter houses

Word History and Origins

Origin of cookie-cutter¹

An Americanism dating back to 1900–05

Example Sentences

If parents want to do something special, Russell recommends quickly using a cookie cutter on a sandwich or adding a sticker alongside the snacks.

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“You don’t know where any of the stuff is, so someone has to teach you... where the cookie cutters are, and where the box of sugar is,” she says, laughing.

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“They want their home back not some cookie cutter home that will devalue the neighborhood.”

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“They were so cookie cutter — you’re trying to hold that platform liable.”

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What tech offers a lot of the time is a standard cookie cutter approach.

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