- present participle of cut.
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
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:
First, analysts are raising their forecasts rather than cutting them.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 14, 2026
Earlier experiments often required cutting the retina into slices to reach them, a process that could disrupt the natural circuitry researchers wanted to examine.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 14, 2026
This comes on top of 50,000 jobs that the carmaker is already in the process of cutting in Germany, about 35,000 of which will go at its namesake brand, under a 2024 deal with unions.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
The government hopes to replicate that elsewhere, with a music plan that aims to provide mentoring for artists and promoters, as well as cutting red tape for music festivals and small venues.
From BBC ● Jul. 13, 2026
Monday at the park, Zach and I are cutting and laying in new trails where the fire took the old ones.
From "Wayward Creatures" by Dayna Lorentz
"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
It said £30m was being invested in earthworks across Lancashire and Cumbria over the next four years "to stabilise embankments, track beds and cuttings", as well as a £323m modernisation programme to futureproof the route.
From BBC ● Nov. 4, 2025
The county slowed tree cuttings earlier this year amid outcry and concerns that those that had been damaged by the fire but were still alive had been removed prematurely.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2025
She started propagating succulent and houseplant cuttings, potting them in vessels she got from neighbors on a Buy Nothing group.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 6, 2025
“The plants will all be dead,” said Betsie, “but we’ll get some cuttings from Nollie! We’ll wash the windows so the sun can come in.”
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
