v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Cut; p. pr. & vb. n. Cutting. ] [ OE. cutten, kitten, ketten; prob. of Celtic origin; cf. W. cwtau to shorten, curtail, dock, cwta bobtailed, cwt tail, skirt, Gael. cutaich to shorten, curtail, dock, cutach short, docked, cut a bobtail, piece, Ir. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. Cf. Coot. ] 1. To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to divide. [ 1913 Webster ]

You must cut this flesh from off his breast. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Before the whistling winds the vessels fly,
With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering; to hew; to mow or reap. [ 1913 Webster ]

Thy servants can skill to cut timer. 2. Chron. ii. 8 [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as, to cut the hair; to cut the nails. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.; to carve; to hew out. [ 1913 Webster ]

Why should a man. whose blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Loopholes cut through thickest shade. Milton. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce; to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick. [ 1913 Webster ]

The man was cut to the heart. Addison. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right angles. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a recitation. etc. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the shop whenever he can do so with impunity. Thomas Hamilton. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

11. (Billiards, etc.) To drive (an object ball) to either side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue ball or another object ball. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) To strike (a ball) with the racket inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain spin on the ball. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with another ball. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

To cut a caper. See under Caper. --
To cut the cards, to divide a pack of cards into portions, in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change the cards to be dealt. --
To cut both ways, to have effects both advantageous and disadvantageous. --
To cut corners, to deliberately do an incomplete or imperfect job in order to save time or money. --
To cut a dash or
To cut a figure, to make a display of oneself; to give a conspicuous impression. [ Colloq. ] --
To cut down. (a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate. “Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia.” Knolles. (b) To put down; to abash; to humble. [ Obs ] “So great is his natural eloquence, that he cuts down the finest orator.” Addison (c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down expenses. (d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a sloop. --
To cut the knot or
To cut the Gordian knot, to dispose of a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary action, rather than by skill or patience. --
To cut lots, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw lots. --
To cut off. (a) To sever; to separate. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ] I would to God, . . .
The king had cut off my brother's. Shak. (b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to destroy. “Irenæus was likewise cut off by martyrdom.” Addison. (c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam engine. (d) To intercept; as, to cut off an enemy's retreat. (e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate. --
To cut out. (a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a piece from a board. (b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a garment. “ A large forest cut out into walks.” Addison. (c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out work for another day. “Every man had cut out a place for himself.” Addison. (d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to cut out a rival. [ Colloq. ] (e) To debar. “I am cut out from anything but common acknowledgments.” Pope. (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or from under the guns of an enemy. (g) to separate from the midst of a number; as, to cut out a steer from a herd; to cut out a car from a train. (h) to discontinue; as, to cut out smoking. --
To cut to pieces. (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces. (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces. --
To cut a play (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out passages, to adapt it for the stage. --
To cut rates (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for transportation below the rates established between competing lines. --
To cut short, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a sudden termination. “Achilles cut him short, and thus replied.” Dryden. --
To cut stick, to make off clandestinely or precipitately. [ Slang ] --
To cut teeth, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce through the gum and appear. --
To have cut one's eyeteeth, to be sharp and knowing. [ Colloq. ] --
To cut one's wisdom teeth, to come to years of discretion. --
To cut under, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor in trade; more commonly referred to as undercut. --
To cut up. (a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes. (b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut up a book or its author by severe criticism. “This doctrine cuts up all government by the roots.” Locke. (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the death of his friend cut him up terribly. [ Colloq. ] Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster +PJC ]

n. 1. An opening made with an edged instrument; a cleft; a gash; a slash; a wound made by cutting; as, a sword cut. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A stroke or blow or cutting motion with an edged instrument; a stroke or blow with a whip. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. That which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark or criticism, or a sarcasm; personal discourtesy, as neglecting to recognize an acquaintance when meeting him; a slight. [ 1913 Webster ]

Rip called him by name, but the cur snarled, snapped his teeth, and passed on. This was an unkind cut indeed. W. Irving. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove; as, a cut for a railroad. [ 1913 Webster ]

This great cut or ditch Secostris . . . purposed to have made a great deal wider and deeper. Knolles. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. The surface left by a cut; as, a smooth or clear cut. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. A portion severed or cut off; a division; as, a cut of beef; a cut of timber. [ 1913 Webster ]

It should be understood, moreover, . . . that the group are not arbitrary cuts, but natural groups or types. Dana. [ 1913 Webster ]

7. An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving; as, a book illustrated with fine cuts. [ 1913 Webster ]

8. (a) The act of dividing a pack cards. (b) The right to divide; as, whose cut is it? [ 1913 Webster ]

9. Manner in which a thing is cut or formed; shape; style; fashion; as, the cut of a garment. [ 1913 Webster ]

With eyes severe and beard of formal cut. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

10. A common work horse; a gelding. [ Obs. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

He'll buy me a cut, forth for to ride. Beau. & Fl. [ 1913 Webster ]

11. The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise. [ College Cant ] [ 1913 Webster ]

12. A skein of yarn. Wright. [ 1913 Webster ]

13. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) A slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin so given to the ball. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

14. (Cricket) A stroke on the off side between point and the wicket; also, one who plays this stroke. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

A cut in rates (Railroad), a reduction in fare, freight charges, etc., below the established rates. --
A short cut, a cross route which shortens the way and cuts off a circuitous passage. --
The cut of one's jib, the general appearance of a person. [ Colloq. ] --
To draw cuts, to draw lots, as of paper, etc., cut unequal lengths. [ 1913 Webster ] Now draweth cut . . .
The which that hath the shortest shall begin. Chaucer. [ 1913 Webster ]

a. 1. Gashed or divided, as by a cutting instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. Formed or shaped as by cutting; carved. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Overcome by liquor; tipsy. [ Slang ] [ 1913 Webster ]

Cut and dried, prepered beforehand; not spontaneous. --
Cut glass, glass having a surface ground and polished in facets or figures. --
Cut nail, a nail cut by machinery from a rolled plate of iron, in distinction from a wrought nail. --
Cut stone, stone hewn or chiseled to shape after having been split from the quarry. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. i. 1. To do the work of an edged tool; to serve in dividing or gashing; as, a knife cuts well. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

Panels of white wood that cuts like cheese. Holmes. [ 1913 Webster ]

3. To perform the operation of dividing, severing, incising, intersecting, etc.; to use a cutting instrument. [ 1913 Webster ]

He saved the lives of thousands by his manner of cutting for the stone. Pope. [ 1913 Webster ]

4. To make a stroke with a whip. [ 1913 Webster ]

5. To interfere, as a horse. [ 1913 Webster ]

6. To move or make off quickly. [ Colloq. ] [ 1913 Webster ]

7. To divide a pack of cards into two portion to decide the deal or trump, or to change the order of the cards to be dealt. [ 1913 Webster ]

To cut across, to pass over or through in the most direct way; as, to cut across a field. --
To cut and run, to make off suddenly and quickly; -- from the cutting of a ship's cable, when there is not time to raise the anchor. [ Colloq. ] --
To cut in or
To cut into, to interrupt; to join in anything suddenly. --
To cut up. (a) To play pranks. [ Colloq. ] (b) To divide into portions well or ill; to have the property left at one's death turn out well or poorly when divided among heirs, legatees, etc. [ Slang. ] “When I die, may I cut up as well as Morgan Pendennis.” Thackeray. [ 1913 Webster ]

adj. same as cutaneous. [ WordNet 1.5 ]

a. [ Cf. F. cutané, fr. L. cutis skin. See Cuticle. ] Of or pertaining to the skin; existing on, or affecting, the skin; as, a cutaneous disease; cutaneous absorption; cutaneous respiration; cutaneous nerves; a cutaneous infection. [ 1913 Webster + WordNet 1.5 ]

a. Having a part cut off or away; having the corners rounded or cut away. [ 1913 Webster ]

Cutaway coat, a coat whose skirts are cut away in front so as not to meet at the bottom. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. 1. a reduction in quantity or rate; a reduction in the amount of an activity or the funding for an activity; as, cutbacks in government research funding increased unemployment among scientists; the recession caused a cutback in auto production. [ WordNet 1.5 +PJC ]

2. a return to an earlier scene or story line in a novel, movie, etc. [ PJC ]

3. (Sports) a sudden switching of directions of a running football player, a surfboarder, etc. [ PJC ]

n. See Catechu. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Zool.) See Cultch. [ 1913 Webster ]