cut off

British  

verb

1. to remove by cutting

2. to intercept or interrupt something, esp a telephone conversation

3. to discontinue the supply of

   to cut off the water

4. to bring to an end

5. to deprive of rights; disinherit

   she was cut off without a penny

6. to sever or separate

   she was cut off from her family

7. to occupy a position so as to prevent or obstruct (a retreat or escape)

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noun

1. 1. the act of cutting off; limit or termination

   2. ( as modifier )

      the cutoff point

2. a route or way that is shorter than the usual one; short cut

3. a device to terminate the flow of a fluid in a pipe or duct

4. Also called: offcut.  the remnant of metal, plastic, etc, left after parts have been machined or trimmed

5. electronics

   1. the value of voltage, frequency, etc, below or above which an electronic device cannot function efficiently

   2. ( as modifier )

      cutoff voltage

6. a channel cutting across the neck of a meander, which leaves an oxbow lake

7. another name for oxbow

cut off Idioms  

1. Separate from others, isolate, as in The construction debris cut off the workers from the canteen , or The new sect was cut off from the church . [Late 1500s]

2. Stop suddenly, discontinue, as in He quickly cut off the engine , or The drama was cut off by a news flash about tornado warnings . [Late 1500s]

3. Shut off, bar, Their phone was cut off when they didn't pay the bill , or Tom's father threatened to cut off his allowance . [c. 1600]

4. Interrupt the course or passage of, intercept, as in The operator cut us off , or The shortstop cut off the throw to the plate . [Late 1500s]

5. Also, . Disinherit, as in Grandfather cut him off with a shilling . This usage dates from the early 1700s; the purpose of bequeathing one shilling (a small sum) was to indicate that the heir had not been overlooked but was intentionally being disinherited. In America cent was substituted from about 1800 on.

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Example Sentences

He said she had cut off contact with him and refused to bring their son back to Taiwan.

From BBC

They can then under certain conditions adjust the value of those loans, which cuts off further borrowing or can force the fund to put up more cash or additional collateral.

From The Wall Street Journal

Access to North Korea has always been heavily restricted, but the country became almost entirely cut off when it sealed its borders in 2020 during the pandemic.

From Barron's

Iran's effective closure of the Strait of Hormuz, the narrow entrance to the Gulf, has cut off roughly 20% of world oil supplies and sent global financial markets into a spin.

From BBC

One potential outcome is that every social-media company could be forced to verify the ages of their users, cutting off certain interactions.

From Barron's

Related Words

• block
• close off
• disconnect
• discontinue
• halt
• isolate
• renounce
• separate
• suspend