Emily Dickinson Lexicon

CUT, v.t. [pret. and pp. cut. Norm. cotu, cut. This word coincides in elements with the W. cat, a piece, cateia, to cut, cwta, short, cwtau, to shorten, and with ysgythru, to cut off, to lop, to shred, to carve, which Owen deduces from ysgwth, a push, from gwth, a push or thrust, gwthiaw, to push, thrust, press. Whether cut is derived to us from the Welsh or not may be a question; but I have not found the word in any of the Gothic or Teutonic languages. It is obviously from a common root with the L. cædo and cudo, and the primary sense is to thrust, to drive, to strike; and to cut off is primarily to strike off. We have proof of this in our own language; for a stroke with a whip is called a cut, and our common people, when they urge a person to ride or run with haste, cry out, cut on, cut on. The fact is the same with many other words which now signify, to separate with an edged tool. See Class Gd, No. 2, 4, 8, 43, 49, 56, 59, and in a different dialect, Class Gs, No. 5, 6, 28, 32, 40, 41, 42, 67.]

1. To separate the parts of any body by an edged instrument, either by striking, as with an ax, or by sawing or rubbing; to make a gash, incision or notch, which separates the external part of a body; as, to cut the flesh. It signifies also, to cut into pieces; to sever or divide; as, to cut timber in the forest. But when an entire separation of the body is intended, it is usually followed by off, down, asunder, in two, in pieces, or other word denoting such severance. “Ye shall not cut yourselves,” that is, Ye shall not gash your flesh. Deut. xiv.
2. To hew. Thy servants can skill to cut timber. 2 Chron. ii.
3. To carve, as meat; to carve or engrave in sculpture. Addison.
4. To divide; to cleave, by passing through; as, a ship cuts the briny deep.
5. To penetrate; to pierce; to affect deeply; as, a sarcasm cuts to the quick.
6. To divide, as a pack of cards; as, to cut and shuffle.
7. To intersect; to cross. One line cuts another at right angles. The ecliptic cuts the equator.
8. To castrate. To cut across, to pass by a shorter course, so as to cut off an angle or distance. To cut asunder, to cut into pieces; to divide; to sever. He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked. Ps. cxxix. To cut down, to fell; to cause to fall by severing. Ye shall cut down their groves. Ex. xxxiv. Hence, to depress; to abash; to humble; to shame; to silence; as, his eloquence cuts down the finest orator. Addison. [This phrase is not elegant, but is in popular use.] To cut off, to separate one part from another; as, to cut of a finger, or an arm; to cut off the right hand figure; to cut off a letter or syllable. #2. To destroy; to extirpate; to put to death untimely. Jezebel cut off the prophets of the Lord. 1 Kings xviii. Evil doers shall be cut off. Ps. xxxvii. #3. To separate; to remove to a distance, or to prevent all intercourse. A man in another country or in prison is cut off from his country or his friends. #4. To interrupt; as, to cut off communication. #5. To separate; to remove; to take away; as, to cut off ten years of life. #6. To intercept; to hinder from return, or union. The troops were cut off from the ships. #7. To end; to finish; as, to cut off all controversy. #8. To prevent or preclude; as, to cut off all occasion of blame. #9. To preclude or shut out. The sinner cuts himself off from the benefits of Christianity. #10. To stop, interrupt or silence. The judge cut off the counsel very short. Bacon. To cut on, to hasten; to run or ride with the utmost speed; a vulgar phrase. #2. To urge or drive in striking; to quicken blows; to hasten. To cut out, to remove a part by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a piece from a board; to cut out the tongue. Hence, #2. To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a garment; to cut out an image; to cut out a wood into walks. Hence, #3. To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out work for another day. So we say, to strike out. #4. To shape; to adapt. He is not cut out for an author. [Not elegant.] #5. To debar. [Not common.] Pope. #6. To take the preference or precedence of; as, to cut out a prior judgment creditor. – Kent. #7. To step in and take the place of, as courting and dancing. [A vulgar phrase.] #8. To interfere as a horse, when the shoe of one that beats off the skin of the pastern joint of another. To cut short, to hinder from proceeding by sudden interruption. Achilles cut him short. Dryden. #2. To shorten; to abridge; as, to cut short of provisions or pay; to cut the matter short. To cut up, to cut in pieces; as, to cut up beef. #2. To eradicate; to cut off; as, to cut up shrubs.