cutout
Americannoun
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something cut out from something else, as a pattern or figure cut out or intended to be cut out of paper, cardboard, or other material.
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a valve in the exhaust pipe of an internal-combustion engine, which when open permits the engine to exhaust directly into the air ahead of the muffler.
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an act or instance of cutting out.
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Slang. a trusted intermediary between two espionage agents or agencies.
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Electricity. a device for the manual or automatic interruption of electric current.
Usage
What is a cutout? A cutout is something that is cut from something else, such as an image of a celebrity printed on a large sheet of cardboard with all the unprinted cardboard cut away. To cut out is to shape or form by cutting. The result is a cutout, as in When Darby made the wooden dollhouse, he made sure to include square cutouts in the walls to represent windows. In electrical engineering, a cutout is a device that interrupts the electrical current to a device, such as a lamp. Example: There was a cutout of the celebrity outside the theater on opening weekend.
Etymology
Origin of cutout
First recorded in 1790–1800; noun use of verb phrase cut out
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.
Finishing last comes at an increasingly steep cost, from roadside concerts to a date with a cardboard cutout.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 8, 2025
When you walk into the museum, you are met by a life-size cardboard cutout of Pusser, who was a formidable 6-foot-6.
From Slate • Nov. 6, 2025
Even from his prison cell in The Hague, former President Duterte ran for mayor of Davao, and won easily, even though all voters got to see of him was a life-size cardboard cutout.
From BBC • May 13, 2025
Did Ross still shoot a version with the Belafonte cutout, just in case the King estate changed its mind?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 11, 2025
Hovering over the map was a little cutout of a Mercury capsule, suspended on a wire.
From "Hidden Figures" by Margot Lee Shetterly
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.
