- present participle of cut.
cutting
Americannoun
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cuttings
plural
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the act of a person or thing that cuts.
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something cut, cut off, or cut out.
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Horticulture. a piece, as a root, stem, or leaf, cut from a plant and used for propagation.
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something made by cutting, as a recording.
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a form of repetitive self-injury in which a person deliberately cuts the skin, as to cope with stress or negative emotions.
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Manège.
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the removal of a specific animal from a herd of cattle, as performed by a ranch horse.
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a competitive exhibition in which horses demonstrate this skill.
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Chiefly British. a clipping from a newspaper, magazine, etc.
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British. a trenchlike excavation, especially through a hill, as one made in constructing a highway.
adjective
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able to cut or slice.
a cutting blade.
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piercing, as a wind.
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wounding the feelings severely; sarcastic.
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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
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a piece cut off from the main part of something
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horticulture
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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
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a part separated for this purpose
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Also called (esp US and Canadian): clipping. an article, photograph, etc, cut from a newspaper or other publication
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the editing process by which a film is cut and made
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an excavation in a piece of high land for a road, railway, etc, enabling it to remain at approximately the same level
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informal sharp-wittedness
there is no cutting in him
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(modifier) designed for or adapted to cutting; edged; sharp
a cutting tool
adjective
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keen; piercing
a cutting wind
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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:
The U.S. launched what it described as an unprecedented campaign to cripple Iran’s economy by cutting off “every remaining lifeline” sustaining the country.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The boss of German carmaker Volkswagen warned workers on Tuesday to brace for thousands of job losses, with the crisis-hit company facing a drastic round of cost cutting.
From Barron's ● Aug. 25, 2026
One of the more extreme approaches to dramatically cutting living expenses is to retire abroad, which is what we did in 2010 when we moved to Cuenca, Ecuador.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
Our study shows what can be achieved by a traditional hay cutting approach combined with nature's brilliant spontaneity.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 23, 2026
I know enough about how he works to know when he’s cutting corners.
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
The Barbican Conservatory is offering free plant cuttings to the public, ahead of its three-year closure for restoration in January.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
As well as viewing her diary entries, we have seen newspaper cuttings and business cards which support aspects of her account.
From BBC ● Jun. 8, 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
Without the trial, it’s unlikely the public will ever know what triggered the bizarre string of tree cuttings.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 11, 2026
About the pressings he'd made since he was little, and the cuttings he collected.
From "City of the Plague God" by Sarwat Chadda
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.
