Showing results for "cutting"

• present participle of cut.

cutting

American  

[kuht-ing] / ˈkʌt ɪŋ /

noun

cuttings plural

1. the act of a person or thing that cuts.

2. something cut, cut off, or cut out.

3. Horticulture. a piece, as a root, stem, or leaf, cut from a plant and used for propagation.

4. something made by cutting, as a recording.

5. a form of repetitive self-injury in which a person deliberately cuts the skin, as to cope with stress or negative emotions.

6. Manège.

   1. the removal of a specific animal from a herd of cattle, as performed by a ranch horse.

   2. a competitive exhibition in which horses demonstrate this skill.

7. Chiefly British. a clipping from a newspaper, magazine, etc.

8. British. a trenchlike excavation, especially through a hill, as one made in constructing a highway.

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adjective

1. able to cut or slice.

   a cutting blade.

2. piercing, as a wind.

3. wounding the feelings severely; sarcastic.

   Synonyms:

   sardonic, acid, mordant, biting, caustic

4. 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.

cutting British  

/ ˈkʌtɪŋ /

noun

1. a piece cut off from the main part of something

2. horticulture

   1. 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

   2. a part separated for this purpose

3. Also called (esp US and Canadian): clipping.  an article, photograph, etc, cut from a newspaper or other publication

4. the editing process by which a film is cut and made

5. an excavation in a piece of high land for a road, railway, etc, enabling it to remain at approximately the same level

6. informal sharp-wittedness

   there is no cutting in him

7. (modifier) designed for or adapted to cutting; edged; sharp

   a cutting tool

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adjective

1. keen; piercing

   a cutting wind

2. tending to hurt the feelings

   a cutting remark

Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• cuttingness
  noun
• noncutting
  adjective
• self-cutting
  adjective
• cuttingly
  adverb

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• cuttings
  plural

Etymology

Origin of cutting

First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English; see origin at cut, -ing ¹, -ing ²

Example Sentences

"It hasn't been able to adapt its life cycle away from this need from a certain temperature on the ground. The cutting of the bracken is essential."

From BBC • Jul. 10, 2026

“The current state is not so encouraging because of the cutting back on grants and support of science by the very agencies that many university researchers rely on.”

From Los Angeles Times • Jul. 10, 2026

The EU believes a digital euro is the answer to cutting its addiction to US payment systems like Visa and Mastercard as well as Apple Pay and Google Pay.

From Barron's • Jul. 9, 2026

Microsoft is cutting more than 3,000 jobs in its Xbox division, a fifth of the division’s total head count.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 8, 2026

The guerrillas live in the hills and mountains, where grass grows up to fifteen feet high, tearing clothes to shreds and cutting through the skin like razors.

From "At Last She Stood" by Erin Entrada Kelly

Related Words

• acerbic
• barbed
• biting
• caustic
• piercing
• pointed
• sarcastic
• sardonic
• scathing
• stinging
• trenchant