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

What the BBC is hearing from Iran is a glimpse into the country that remains largely cut off from the world as a result of a government-imposed internet outage.

From BBC

The strait closing cut off the flow of fertilizer from the Gulf to the world.

From The Wall Street Journal

For now, the prisoners inside Evin and throughout the country are enduring a dystopian paradox—cut off from information about the war and yet seeing and hearing its effects reverberating outside the compound walls.

From The Wall Street Journal

Doing so could, in theory, cut off the nation's oil shipments, depriving the nation of much-needed revenue and forcing it to make greater concessions to the Americans in exchange for an end to hostilities.

From BBC

Once Starlink was cut off, however, Ukrainian troops noticed a dramatic drop in the number of drones coming after them.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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