cutting

American  

[kuht-ing] / ˈkʌt ɪŋ /

noun

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

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

Etymology

Origin of cutting

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

Example Sentences

And that left no plausible path for cutting overall federal spending.

From The Wall Street Journal

In terms of keeping buildings warm, heat pumps are widely seen as the best way of cutting emissions of carbon dioxide and helping to achieve net zero goals.

From BBC

Diageo on Wednesday said it was cutting its dividend in half as it reduced its sales outlook, citing American consumer reluctance to spend due to affordability concerns.

From MarketWatch

Diageo on Wednesday said it was cutting its dividend in half as it reduced its sales outlook, citing American consumer reluctance to spend due to affordability concerns.

From MarketWatch

Thailand’s central bank surprised markets by cutting its policy rate at its first meeting of the year, delivering a second consecutive round of easing to bolster tentative signs of recovery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

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