from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Cut \Cut\ (k[u^]t), 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.
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You must cut this flesh from off his breast. --Shak.
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Before the whistling winds the vessels fly,
With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. --Pope.
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2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering;
to hew; to mow or reap.
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Thy servants can skill to cut timer. --2. Chron.
ii. 8
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3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as,
to cut the hair; to cut the nails.
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4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.
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5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing,
etc.; to carve; to hew out.
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Why should a man. whose blood is warm within,
Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? --Shak.
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Loopholes cut through thickest shade. --Milton.
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6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce;
to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.
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The man was cut to the heart. --Addison.
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7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right
angles.
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8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in
the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [Colloq.]
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9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a
recitation. etc. [Colloq.]
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An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the
shop whenever he can do so with impunity. --Thomas
Hamilton.
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10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a
chopping movement of the bat.
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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.
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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.
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13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with
another ball.
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{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.
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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. "Iren[ae]us 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.
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from
The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48
Down \Down\, adv. [For older adown, AS. ad[=u]n, ad[=u]ne,
prop., from or off the hill. See 3d {Down}, and cf. {Adown},
and cf. {Adown}.]
1. In the direction of gravity or toward the center of the
earth; toward or in a lower place or position; below; --
the opposite of {up}.
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2. Hence, in many derived uses, as:
(a) From a higher to a lower position, literally or
figuratively; in a descending direction; from the top
of an ascent; from an upright position; to the ground
or floor; to or into a lower or an inferior condition;
as, into a state of humility, disgrace, misery, and
the like; into a state of rest; -- used with verbs
indicating motion.
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It will be rain to-night. Let it come down.
--Shak.
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I sit me down beside the hazel grove.
--Tennyson.
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And that drags down his life. --Tennyson.
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There is not a more melancholy object in the
learned world than a man who has written himself
down. --Addison.
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The French . . . shone down [i. e., outshone]
the English. --Shak.
(b) In a low or the lowest position, literally or
figuratively; at the bottom of a descent; below the
horizon; on the ground; in a condition of humility,
dejection, misery, and the like; in a state of quiet.
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I was down and out of breath. --Shak.
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The moon is down; I have not heard the clock.
--Shak.
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He that is down needs fear no fall. --Bunyan.
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3. From a remoter or higher antiquity.
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Venerable men! you have come down to us from a
former generation. --D. Webster.
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4. From a greater to a less bulk, or from a thinner to a
thicker consistence; as, to boil down in cookery, or in
making decoctions. --Arbuthnot.
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Note: Down is sometimes used elliptically, standing for go
down, come down, tear down, take down, put down, haul
down, pay down, and the like, especially in command or
exclamation.
Down, therefore, and beg mercy of the duke.
--Shak.
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If he be hungry more than wanton, bread alone
will down. --Locke.
Down is also used intensively; as, to be loaded down;
to fall down; to hang down; to drop down; to pay down.
The temple of Her[`e] at Argos was burnt down.
--Jowett
(Thucyd.).
Down, as well as up, is sometimes used in a
conventional sense; as, down East.
Persons in London say down to Scotland, etc., and
those in the provinces, up to London.
--Stormonth.
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{Down helm} (Naut.), an order to the helmsman to put the helm
to leeward.
{Down on} or {Down upon} (joined with a verb indicating
motion, as go, come, pounce), to attack, implying the idea
of threatening power.
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Come down upon us with a mighty power. --Shak.
{Down with}, take down, throw down, put down; -- used in
energetic command, often by people aroused in crowds,
referring to people, laws, buildings, etc.; as, down with
the king! "Down with the palace; fire it." --Dryden.
{To be down on}, to dislike and treat harshly. [Slang, U.S.]
{To cry down}. See under {Cry}, v. t.
{To cut down}. See under {Cut}, v. t.
{Up and down}, with rising and falling motion; to and fro;
hither and thither; everywhere. "Let them wander up and
down." --Ps. lix. 15.
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