cutting
Americannoun
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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
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.
He spent the night cutting pictures from magazines and downloading images to create a makeshift catalog, then promised Mason a custom $40,000 necklace.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 12, 2026
Limiting long-term global warming to below 1.5°C will require far more than cutting greenhouse gas emissions.
From Science Daily • Jun. 11, 2026
A government spokesperson said it was "backing hospitality by cutting VAT on family attractions and kids meals this summer".
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
On April 16, the Pentagon, in coordination with the Treasury, announced Operation Economic Fury, a campaign cutting off the regime’s global terror financing and revenue streams.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 9, 2026
“We weren’t supposed to end up in the water, but somebody got a little overexcited when he spotted the Butterfly cutting the line to one of the life rafts.”
From "Glitch" by Laura Martin
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.
