cut
A1Neutral
Definition
Meaning
to make an opening, incision, or separation in something with a sharp tool or edge; to divide or reduce.
Used to describe reductions (cut costs), editing (cut a film), social snubs (cut someone dead), stylistic choices (cut of a suit), dividing/sharing (cut the cake), stopping (cut the engine), and many other figurative applications.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Extremely polysemous. Core action sense is physical and basic. Figurative uses are extensive and often require context. As a noun, can refer to the result of the action, a share, a style, or an edited version.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
Minor spelling differences in past participle/past tense (cut/cut/cut). Some specific phrases: UK 'cut up rough' (US rare), UK 'cut the cackle' (US rare). US 'cut a check' is more common than UK 'make out a cheque'. Hair 'cutting' terminologies may vary regionally.
Connotations
Largely identical. 'Cut' as an adjective (e.g., 'cut glass', 'cut price') is equally common.
Frequency
The word is core vocabulary in both. Frequency of certain phrasal verbs or idioms may vary by region.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
SV (The knife cuts)SVO (She cut the bread)SVO-A (He cut the rope with a knife)SVO-P (Cut the cake into slices)SVOA (Cut the onions finely)Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “cut corners”
- “cut to the chase”
- “cut someone some slack”
- “cut the mustard”
- “cut your losses”
- “cut both ways”
- “cut from the same cloth”
- “cut it fine”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rapid reduction ('cut costs', 'cut staff', 'budget cuts'). Deal-making ('cut a deal').
Academic
Reduction/omission ('cut a paragraph', 'cutting-edge research').
Everyday
Physical action ('cut your hair', 'cut the cake'), reduction ('cut a long story short'), interruption ('cut the power').
Technical
Film/audio editing ('cut and splice'), computing ('cut and paste'), metallurgy ('cutting fluid'), forestry ('cutting line').
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- Could you cut the loaf, please?
- The government is cutting funding for the arts.
- He cut his knee playing football.
American English
- Can you cut the bread?
- The company is cutting 500 jobs.
- She cut her finger on the paper.
adverb
British English
- The director shouted, 'Cut!'
- He went cut and run when he saw the police.
American English
- The scene ended with a hard cut to black.
- That joke was too cut and dried.
adjective
British English
- She wore a dress of cut velvet.
- We bought it at a cut price.
American English
- The diamond had a brilliant cut.
- They're selling cut flowers on the corner.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- I cut my finger.
- Please cut the paper.
- She got a hair cut.
- We need to cut our expenses this month.
- The editor decided to cut the last paragraph.
- He cut the cake into ten pieces.
- The criticism cut him to the quick.
- They've cut off the water supply for repairs.
- His sharp wit can be quite cutting.
- The new policy cuts across traditional party lines.
- She cut her teeth in journalism at the local paper.
- The director's cut of the film is 30 minutes longer.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of a kitchen 'CUTting board' – it's where you CUT things. The word is short, sharp, and direct, like the action.
Conceptual Metaphor
REDUCTION/SEPARATION IS CUTTING (cut costs, cut ties); EDITING/STOPPING IS CUTTING (cut a scene, cut the engine); INSULT/HARM IS CUTTING (a cutting remark, cut to the quick).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid using 'cut' for every Russian 'резать'. 'Cut the grass' (косить траву) uses 'mow'. 'Cut wood' (рубить дрова) often uses 'chop'. 'Cut from a film' (вырезать) uses 'cut out' or 'edit out'. 'Cut' does not mean 'kill' as in 'резать' slang.
Common Mistakes
- Incorrect past tense: 'cutted' (correct: 'cut'). Confusing 'cut off' (disconnect/remove) with 'cut out' (remove/shape). Using 'cut' for a long, thin slice ('sliver' is better). Overusing the physical verb for figurative reductions.
Practice
Quiz
In the idiom 'cut both ways', what does it mean?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
The past tense and past participle of 'cut' is also 'cut'. It is an irregular verb (cut-cut-cut).
'Cut down' often means to fell (cut down a tree) or kill. 'Cut down on' means to reduce consumption (cut down on sugar, cut down on spending).
Yes, frequently. It can mean an injury (a deep cut), a reduction (tax cuts), a style (the cut of a jacket), a share (his cut of the profits), or an edited version (director's cut).
Yes, etymologically. It refers to the sharp edge of a blade, metaphorically extended to mean the most advanced point of development in a field (cutting-edge technology).