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• rough cut
  rough cut

  noun

  the first assembly of a film following preliminary cutting and editing.
• rough-cut
  rough-cut

  adjective

  cut into small, irregular pieces (contrasted with fine-cut).

rough cut

¹ American  

noun

Movies.

1. the first assembly of a film following preliminary cutting and editing.

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rough-cut ² American  

[ruhf-kuht] / ˈrʌfˈkʌt /

adjective

1. cut into small, irregular pieces (contrasted with fine-cut).

   rough-cut tobacco.

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rough-cut British  

noun

1. a first edited version of a film with the scenes in sequence and the soundtrack synchronized

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Etymology

Origin of rough cut¹

First recorded in 1935–40

Origin of rough-cut²

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

rough cut rough-cut

Davis further objected to music producer David Foster’s insistence on an elaborate backing remix for the song, having fallen in love with the first rough cut, which had been recorded live on set.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 22, 2026

But I’ve seen the episodes of the season in rough cut and while they differ from the novels, they’re really great fun to watch and I enjoyed them thoroughly.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 29, 2025

I've seen one rough cut for Season 2.

From Salon ● Feb. 20, 2025

That’s also what Disney executives asked with concern about the idiosyncratic stop-motion animation musical when they saw a rough cut.

From New York Times ● Oct. 25, 2023

“Which I doubt;” His voice was oddly and beautifully rough cut, as some small boys’ voices are.

From "Nine Stories" by J. D. Salinger

The rough-cut sandstone church, with its bright red doors and stained-glass windows, was built in 1904 to house the state’s oldest Methodist congregation, and occupies a prominent corner lot a few blocks north of downtown.

From Slate ● Jul. 13, 2023

And after a rough-cut screening of Zoe’s movie for family and friends, this heartfelt tale takes a few sharp turns that make all involved question or reexamine their beliefs.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 3, 2023

But this hearty bowl — brimming with big, rough-cut vegetables and hunks of chuck, shank, tenderloin and rib — enveloped me like a security blanket nonetheless.

From Washington Post ● Nov. 7, 2022

She represents a new kind of Condé Nast, one built on a kind of rough-cut authenticity, but her popularity has drawn attention to the problem of representation.

From New York Times ● Jun. 13, 2020

She stroked his face, marveling at what it had come to mean to her in so short a span of time—this crooked nose, these rough-cut cheeks, these rivercat lashes and dreamer’s eyes.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor