cut

cutverb

To cut is to use a knife or another sharp tool to open, divide, or remove part of something, or to make an amount or a length smaller.

1. dividedivide something into pieces, or remove a part of it, with a knife, scissors, or another sharp tool

   transitive or intransitive [T/I] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj] verb + two objects [V + obj + obj] verb + object + adjective [V + obj + adj]

   • Cut the bread into thin slices. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Can you cut me a piece of cake? V + obj + obj
   • She cut the rope with a kitchen knife. V + obj + prep + obj
   • He cut the box open to see what was inside. V + obj + adj

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut bread, cut the cake, cut paper, cut the rope

   verb + preposition cut something into pieces, cut something in half, cut something with a knife

   Compare chop

   1. abe sharp enough to cut things, or be easy to cut

      The subject is the tool or the material, not the person cutting.

      intransitive [I]

      • This old knife doesn't cut very well.
      • Soft cheese cuts more easily with a warm knife.

2. injurehurt yourself or someone by making an opening in the skin with something sharp

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • I cut my finger on a piece of broken glass. V + obj
   • Be careful not to cut yourself. V + obj
   • His face was badly cut in the fight. V + obj (passive)

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut your finger, cut your hand, cut yourself

   phrase be badly cut

   1. ahurt someone's feelings very much

      transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

      • Her cruel words cut him deeply.

      Collocations

      adverb + verb cut someone deeply

3. make shortermake something such as hair or grass shorter

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj]

   • I need to get my hair cut.
   • He cuts the grass every Saturday morning. V + obj
   • You should cut your nails; they're too long. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut your hair, cut the grass, cut your nails, cut the hedge

   Synonyms trim

4. reducereduce the amount, size, or number of something

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • The company is trying to cut costs. V + obj
   • They've cut the price by half. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Hundreds of jobs will be cut next year. V + obj (passive)
   • The new road cuts the journey time to twenty minutes. V + obj + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut costs, cut prices, cut taxes, cut jobs

   adverb + verb cut sharply, cut drastically

   Synonyms reduce; chop

   Antonyms increase

5. remove partremove part of a piece of writing, a film, or a speech

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + object + preposition + object [V + obj + prep + obj]

   • The editor cut two pages from the story. V + obj + prep + obj
   • Several scenes were cut from the final film. V + obj + prep + obj (passive)

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut a scene, cut a line, cut a paragraph

   1. aremove text or a picture from a computer file so that you can put it somewhere else

      transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] computing

      • Cut the paragraph and paste it at the end.
      • You can cut and paste the address into the email.

      Collocations

      phrase cut and paste

6. make by cuttingmake something such as a hole, a path, or a key by taking away part of something with a sharp tool

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] verb + two objects [V + obj + obj]

   • The workers cut a path through the forest. V + obj
   • Could you cut me a copy of this key? V + obj + obj
   • Cut a small hole in the top of the box. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut a hole, cut a path, cut a key

7. go acrossgo across a place, often to make a trip shorter

   intransitive [I] verb + preposition + object [V + prep + obj]

   • We cut across the park to save time. V + prep + obj
   • The path cuts through the woods to the lake. V + prep + obj

   Collocations

   verb + preposition cut across something, cut through something

8. miss classstay away from a class or from school without permission

   transitive [T] verb + object [V + obj] informalAmerican

   • He cut class to go to the beach with his friends. V + obj
   • If you keep cutting school, you'll fail the year. V + obj

   Collocations

   verb + noun cut class, cut school

See also cut down; cut off; cut out; cut up; cut back; cut in