[In branches I–V f. CUT v.; in VI elliptical use of the pa. pple.; in VIII the word may be distinct, since the phrase occurs about or before 1400, while the sb. otherwise appears only in the 16th c.]
I. Act of cutting. 1. lit.
1808. Cobbett, Pol. Reg., 25 June, 997. The speech is all whet and no cut. It is merely flummery.
1841. Mrs. Loudon, Ladies’ Comp. Flower Gard. (ed. 2), 81. The shoot should be cut off with what gardeners call a clean cut.
2. A stroke or blow with a sharp-edged instrument, as a knife, sword, etc.
1601. Shaks., Jul. C., III. ii. 187. Through this, the wel-beloued Brutus stabb’d…. This was the most vnkindest cut of all.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. iv. 68. Seeing him give the fellow a barbarous cut with the hatchet.
1889. Froude, Two Chiefs of Dunboy, v. 55. His face, once strikingly handsome, had been disfigured by a sabre cut.
b. Fencing and Sword exercise. A slashing blow or stroke given with the edge of the weapon (distinguished from a thrust given with the point).
1592. G. Harvey, Pierce’s Super., 140. Cuttes, slashes and foines.
1833. Regul. & Instr. Cavalry, I. 148. Each ‘Cut’ has its ‘Guard.’
1840. Dickens, Old C. Shop, II. i. The broadsword exercise with all the cuts and guards complete.
c. Cut and thrust: (a) as sb., the act of cutting and thrusting; hand-to-hand struggle; (b) as adj. (the words being hyphened), adapted for both cutting and thrusting; addicted to or connected with cutting and thrusting; also fig.; (c) ellipt. = cut-and-thrust sword.
1840. Thackeray, Catherine, i. He-devils, sword and pistol, cut and thrust, pell-mell came tumbling into the redoubt!
1843. Lytton, Last Bar., I. iii. Thanks, but I leave cut and thrust to the gentles.
1846. Grote, Greece (1862), I. ii. 63. The cut and thrust of actual life.
1763. Brit. Mag., IV. 301/1. My sword with a cut-and-thrust blade.
1820. Scott, Abbot, iv. The word sword comprehended all descriptions, whether back-sword or basket-hilt, cut-and-thrust or rapier.
1838. Dickens, Nich. Nick., ix. That … scowl with which the cut-and-thrust counts, in melodramatic performances, inform each other they will meet again.
1875. Jowett, Plato (ed. 2), II. 421. The short cut and thrust method of Socrates.
3. A sharp stroke or blow with a whip, cane, etc.
1725. New Cant. Dict., I took him a Cut cross the Shoulders.
1787. ‘G. Gambado,’ Acad. Horsemen (1809), 36. A good smart cut over his [the horse’s] right cheek and eye.
1833. Ht. Martineau, Manch. Strike, iii. 29. A cut across the knuckles with his riding-whip.
1886. R. F. Burton, Arab. Nts. (Abr. ed.), I. 296. He sentenced him to receive an hundred cuts with the scourge.
4. fig. An act whereby the feelings are deeply wounded, as a sarcasm, an act of unkindness, etc.; a severe disaster or misfortune; a blow, shock.
1568. C. Watson, Polyb., 65 a. The Romans … acknowledged this their simple cutte and sore repulse.
1606. Shaks., Ant. & Cl., I. ii. 173. Then had you indeede a cut.
1635. R. Bolton, Comf. Affl. Consc., iii. 15. A most cruel cut to a troubled conscience.
1766. Goody Two-Shoes, II. vii. (1881), 136. This was a Cut to a Man of his imperious Disposition.
1889. E. Bagshaw, Advent Pastoral, 17. Contemptuous cuts and disparaging words.
5. An excision or omission of a part.
1604. Middleton, Father Hubbard’s T., Wks. (1886), VIII. 77. He must venture … to the Bankside, where he must sit out the breaking-up of a comedy, or the first cut of a tragedy.
1779. Sheridan, Critic, II. ii. Hey day! here’s a cut! What, are all the mutual protestations out!
1880. Sat. Rev., 1 May, 568. The piece … will perhaps have a still better effect if the cuts which we have suggested are made.
6. The act of ‘cutting down’; a reduction in rates or prices. (Chiefly U.S.)
1881. Chicago Times, 17 June. Supplemented by a still further ‘cut’ of two cents.
1888. Times, 13 Nov., 5/1. (Philadelphia) Stocks declined to-day because of a radical cut in the freight rates between Chicago and the seaboard.
7. The act of ‘cutting’ by a horse: see CUT v. 27: the part of the leg injured by cutting.
1688. Lond. Gaz., No. 2376/4. A brown Gelding … cuts on the Speedy cut of both his Fore-Legs.
1865. Youatt, Horse, xvi. (1872), 371. The inside of the leg, immediately under the knee … is subject to injury from what is termed the speedy cut.
8. Card-playing. The act of cutting a pack of cards; the card obtained by cutting. † New cut: name of some game at cards (obs.).
1598. Florio, Trinca, a game at cards called swig or new cut.
1728. Swift, Jrnl. Mod. Lady. The deal, the shuffle, and the cut.
1860. Crawley, Handy Bk. Games, 324. Should a card be exposed, there must be a fresh cut, the dealer having the option of shuffling them before the next cut. Not fewer than four cards are considered a cut.
9. A step in dancing: see CUT v. 30.
1676. Etheredge, Man of Mode, V. ii. No one woman is worth the loss of a cut in a caper.
1751. Smollett, Per. Pic., xiv. Performed sundry new cuts with his feet.
1842. Dickens, Amer. Notes (1850), 62/2. Single shuffle, double shuffle, cut and cross-cut.
1892. Mrs. H. Ward, D. Grieve, viii. David stopped his cut and shuffle.
10. A particular stroke in various games with balls: a. Cricket. The stroke described s.v. CUT v. 31 a. b. Lawn Tennis. The stroke described s.v. CUT v. 31 b; also the ‘screw’ put on the ball by this stroke. c. Croquet. A stroke in which a ball is driven away obliquely by another ball. d. Rackets. A ball served so that it strikes upon or below the ‘cut-line,’ which is a fault.
1855. ‘Stonehenge,’ Brit. Sports (1868), 568. The main difference is between the perpendicular cut to leg and the horizontal one to off side.
1874. J. D. Heath, Croquet-Player, 33. More force will be required to send a ball a given distance by a cut, than when it is rushed in a straight line.
1874. Field, 15 Aug. Good balls always bound, except when they have that cut on which W. H. E. evidently dislikes.
1878. Julian Marshall, Lawn Tennis, 37. The cut will also be found very useful in the service.
1888. Steel & Lyttelton, Cricket (Badm. Libr.), 61–2. The real genuine cut goes to the left side of point…. When the player is well in … he very often makes … a clean cut; that is to say, he hits with a bat quite horizontal to the ball, and not over it.
11. Gun Manuf. Each of the various processes through which the several limbs of the gun pass.
1881. Greener, Gun, 270. In some arms upwards of 1,000 separate cuts have to be made to complete each gun, to say nothing of drilling the various holes, &c.
12. colloq. The act of ‘cutting’ or refusing to recognize an acquaintance.
1798. [see CUTTEE].
1829. Anniversary, Travelled Monkey, 133. That look which London calls a cut, Our traveller on his cousin put.
1848. Thackeray, Bk. Snobs, ii. (D.). We met and gave each other the cut direct that night.
1862. Merivale, Rom. Emp. (1865), V. xliv. 268. The Cut, the last resource of sullenness and shyness is, I believe, a strictly English institution.
13. (See quot.)
1879. J. H. Merryman, in Scribner’s Mag., XIX. 327/1. Often in storms a strong swift current runs along the coast between the outer bar and the shore, called by the surfmen the ‘set’ or ‘cut.’
† 14. Irish Hist. A levy of money, a tax, an impost: cf. CUT v. 34. Obs.
1634–5. Stat. Ireland (1765), II. 169. To that end doe make cuts, levies and plotments upon themselves to pay them.
II. 15. A passage, course, or way straight across; esp. as opposed to going round a corner or by a circuitous route. Also concr., and fig.
1577–87. Harrison, Descr. Brit., ii. 3, in Holinshed. The shortest and most usuall cut that we have out of our Iland to the Maine is from Dover … unto Calice.
1581. Savile, Tacitus’ Hist., I. xxxi. (1591), 19. Tired and sick with so long a cut [longa navigatione].
1600. Holland, Livy, XXXII. xxiii. 824. Whence the passage over to Corinth is a cut [trajectus] almost of seven miles.
1637. Heywood, Dial., xv. Wks. 1874, VI. 233. So long a cut Must I take pains to waft thee.
1831. A. Fonblanque, Eng. under 7 Administ. (1837), II. 174. The cut across the fields is shut up.
1883. J. Parker, Tyne Chylde, 273. One of those rhetoricians who would take any cut to a climax.
b. esp. in short cut, a crossing that shortens the distance. abstr. and concr., lit. and fig.
1589. Greene, Menaphon (Arb.), 70. He … hauing the winde fauourable, made a short cut.
c. 1590. Marlowe, Faust., iii. 52. The shortest cut for conjuring Is stoutly to abjure the Trinity.
1601. Holland, Pliny, I. 63. The shortest cut into Greece.
1658. W. Burton, Itin. Anton., 114. The way is not alwaies by the shortest cut.
1866. Argyll, Reign Law, vii. (ed. 4), 363. There are no short cuts in Nature.
1888. Burgon, Lives 12 Gd. Men, II. xi. 311. A short cut across the fields … was made for the convenience of the inhabitants.
c. Also near cut. (Still common in Sc.)
1614. Bp. Hall, Recoll. Treat., 1115. Hee … now leades them the nearest cut to Jericho.
1673. E. Brown, Trav. Germ. (1677), 2. The nearest cut out of England into Holland is from Laistoffe Point to Gravesandt.
1783. Ainsworth, Lat. Dict. (Morell), IV. s.v. Anaxagoras, There is a near cut to heaven from every place.
1801. Gabrielli, Myst. Husb., II. 135. He set forward, taking, for expedition, all the nearest cuts.
1803. Maria Vanzee, Fate, 42. The old man … had arrived before me, by a nearer cut in the wood.
III. 16. The shape to which, or style in which a thing is cut; fashion, shape (of clothes, hair, etc.).
1579. Lyly, Euphues (Arb.), 152. With costly attyre of the newe cut.
1600. Shaks., A. Y. L., II. vii. 155. With eyes seuere, and beard of formall cut.
c. 1684. Frost of 1683–4, 19.
| The cuts were diamond, the substance ice, | |
| Which in men’s pockets vanish’d in a trice. |
1703. Moxon, Mech. Exerc., 15. You see how the Files of several Cuts succeed each other.
1751. Johnson, Rambler, No. 138, ¶ 5. Wearing a gown always of the same cut and colour.
1805. Naval Chron., XV. 125. From the cut of her sails an enemy.
1883. S. C. Hall, Retrospect, II. 187. A broad-brimmed hat and coat of Quakerish cut.
b. fig. Fashion, style, make.
1590. Nashe, Pasquil’s Apol., I. C ij b. A right cutte of the worde, without gigges or fancies.
1602–3. Manningham, in Eng. Illust. Mag., March (1884), 368/2. A young gallant, but of a short cutt.
1628. Prynne, Love-lockes, 25. Others of the common ranke and cut.
1741. Richardson, Pamela (1824), I. 171. My good mother was one of this old fashioned cut.
1856. Mrs. Carlyle, Lett., II. 307. These Londoners are all of the cut of this woman.
c. The cut of one’s jib: one’s general appearance or look. slang, orig. nautical: see JIB.
1823. Southey, in Life & Corr., V. 144. Their likeability, which depends something upon the cut of their jib.
1833. Marryat, P. Simple, ii. I see you’re a sailor by the cut of your jib.
1881. R. Buchanan, God & the Man, II. iii. I like the cut of your jib less than ever.
17. Phrase. A cut above (some person or thing): a degree or stage above. colloq.
[1797. Lamb, Lett. (1888), I. 78. There is much abstruse science in it above my cut.]
1818. Scott, Hrt. Midl., xvi. Robertson is rather a cut abune me.
1842. Marryat, Percival Keene, i. She was … a cut above the housekeeper in the still-room.
1891. Lucy B. Walford, Mischief of Monica, xi. The girl herself is a cut below par.
IV. The result, effect or product of cutting.
18. An opening in a surface made by a sharp-edged instrument, an incision; a wound made by cutting, a gash.
1530. Palsgr., 211/2. Cutte, a wounde, covppevre.
1557. N. T. (Genev.), Matt. ix. 16. The cutte is made worse.
1618. N. Field, Amends for Ladies, III. iv. How came they by such cuts and slashes?
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. ix. 215. Two or three of the men had cuts in their backs and thighs.
1830. Cooper, Dict. Surgery (ed. 6), 1269. When the wound is a common cut, the sides of the division ought to be brought in contact.
19. An incision made in the edge of a garment, etc., for ornament; a slash; a natural indentation, as in the edge of a leaf.
1563. Homilies, II. Excess of Apparel (1859), 313. While one spendeth his patrimony upon pounces and cuts.
1578. Lyte, Dodoens, II. lxxxiii. 261. Sauing that euery little leafe his cuttes are a great deale narrower.
1599. Shaks., Much Ado, III. iv. 19. Cloth a gold and cuts, and lac’d with siluer.
1641. Milton, Ch. Govt., vi. (1851), 126. She might go jagg’d in as many cuts and slashes as she pleas’d.
1719. De Foe, Crusoe (1840), II. xiii. 277. The habit … with … cuts and slashes almost on every side.
20. A passage or channel: a. An artificial watercourse cut or dug out; a channel, canal, cutting. (In common use in the Fen district in England.)
1548. Petit. of Sandwich, in Boys, Sandwich (1792), 735. To authorize the said mayor … and inhabitants … to cut out, newe erect and make one newe cutt into their said haven.
1570. Act 13 Eliz., c. 18. Preamb., The Leading and Passage of the said Water, thorough such a … Cut, as may serve for the Navigation of Barges.
1603. Knolles, Hist. Turks (1638), 89. Invironed with a nauigable ditch or cut.
1696. Phil. Trans., XIX. 344. Through these Fens run great Cuts or Dreyns.
1803. G. Rose, Diaries (1860), II. 20. To make a … navigable cut from the Red Sea to the Nile.
1893. Act 36–7 Vict., c. 71 § 58. Any watercourse, mill race, cut, leat, or other channel for conveying water … from any river.
† b. A natural narrow opening or passage by water; a channel or strait.
1598. Grenewey, Tacitus’ Ann., V. ii. (1622), 119. Hastening ouer the Toronæan and Thermean cut, and passing by Eubœa.
1610. Holland, Camden’s Brit., II. 203. Mona whereof Cæsar maketh mention, in the mids of the cut … betweene Britaine and Ireland.
1642. Fuller, Holy & Prof. St., II. viii. 77. As it were but a narrow cut to ferry over.
1678. trans. Gaya’s Arms War, II. 102. The Castle of Salses, on the Cut of the Sea.
c. A creek or inlet. Now local.
1630. R. Johnson’s Kingd. & Commw., 456. The Country is full of cuts and inlets from this River.
1727. Beverley Beck Act, 1. A Creek or Cut, commonly called Beverley Beck.
1890. M. Townsend, U. S., 137. Cut, used on the eastern shore of Florida as synonymous with inlet.
d. A passage cut as a roadway through a rock, wood, dense part of a city, etc.; a railway cutting.
1730. Sir H. Sloane, in Phil. Trans., XXXVI. 26. Having again continued our Journey under Ground in the Salt-work, we then found ourselves in the Cuts.
1789. Ess. Shooting (1791), 300. The sportsman may … watch at some opening, or cut which runs through the wood.
1881. Chicago Times, 12 March. The snow is six feet in the cuts.
1881. C. H. Farnham, in Scribner’s Mag., XXII. 528/2. On the left are the cuts and tunnels of the railroad.
e. Theatr. A narrow longitudinal opening, cut in the flooring of the stage, by which scenes are moved up and down.
1859. Sala, Gas-light & D., ii. 23. On this frame the scene to be painted is placed; and … worked up and down the cut as the painter may require.
1881. L. Wagner, Pantomimes, 55. The visitor will discern what are called the cuts in the flooring of the stage…. When required these cuts are opened … for the passage of the scenes to be sent up.
21. A design cut or engraved upon wood, copper or steel; the impression from this; an engraving, a plate. Now restricted to engravings on wood (see WOODCUT), those on metal being called plates.
1646. Sir T. Browne, Pseud. Ep., 258. Set forth in the Icons or Cuts of Martyrs by Cevallerius.
1662. Evelyn, Chalcogr., 23. The Invention of Copper-cuts, and their Impressions. Ibid., 84. With some other cuts in wood known by his mark…. All those excellent Wood Cuts.
1695. Lond. Gaz., No. 3131/3. The Cutts of the University … richly bound, and Printed in Folio at the Theatre.
1710. Hearne, Collect. (Oxf. Hist. Soc.), III. 17. The wooden Cutts of the Actors.
1781. Crabbe, Library, Wks. 1834, II. 39. Bibles, with cuts and comments.
1824. J. Johnson, Typogr., I. 253. The cuts to this edition are better executed.
1885. Mag. of Art, Sept., 449/1. A glance at our first two cuts will give an idea of their position.
† 22. A carving. Obs. rare.
1658. J. Burbury, Hist. Christina Alessandra, 263–4. The Church of St. Francis,… with noble statues, embossed works, and infinite cuts of Greeke marble.
V. A piece cut off.
23. A piece of anything cut off; esp. of meat, a slice.
1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Tajada, a cut of flesh, a slice of bread.
1641. Peacham, Worth of Penny, in Arb., Garner, VI. 265. The worst and first cut, as of boiled beef.
1737. Johnson, in Boswell. I had a cut of meat for sixpence, and bread for a penny.
1864. D. G. Mitchell, Sev. Stor., 52. Perhaps we can take a cut off the same joint.
24. A piece of cloth of a definite length cut from a warp.
1753. Hanway, Trav. (1762), I. III. xxvii. 113. The present … consisting of several cuts of fine cloth.
1891. Labour Commission Gloss., Cuts, sometimes called ‘ends,’ are pieces of cloth of a certain length (generally of or about 100 yards) cut from a warp.
25. A certain quantity of yarn; properly containing 120 rounds of the legal reel, and 91 inches long. (Sc. and north. Engl.)
1632. N. Riding Rec. (1885), III. II. 194. Two women for stealing 30 cuttes of linen yarn. Ibid. (1726), VIII. 174. Linen yarne … must be ‘good and full tale of six score threads to the cutt.’
1791. Statist. Acc. Roxburghsh. (Galashiels), II. 308 (Jam.). A stone of the finest [wool] … will yield 32 slips of yarn, each containing 12 cuts, and each cut being 120 rounds of the legal reel.
1870. Mar. Edgeworth, Parent’s Assistant (1854), 341. Mary spun nine cuts a day besides doing all that was to be done in the house.
26. The quantity cut (of a natural product, esp. timber). Chiefly U.S.
1805. R. W. Dickson, Pract. Agric. (1807), II. 360. A medium crop for the first cut.
1878. Lumberman’s Gaz., 16 March. The cut of this year exceeded the cut of last year by at least 20 per cent.
1890. Times, 22 Sept., 4/2. The cut of violet clovers in France is not likely to be large.
27. (See quot.)
1890. Dialect Notes (Boston), Kentucky words, II. 64. Cut, with tobacco raisers … a portion of a tobacco field. ‘Did you finish worming that cut you were on?’
VI. Substantive uses of the pa. pple.
† 28. ‘A familiar expression for a common or labouring horse‘ (Nares). Obs. [It is doubtful whether the sense is ‘cut-tail horse’ or ‘gelding.’]
1526. Skelton, Magnyf., 296. In fayth, I set not by the worlde two Dauncaster cuttys.
1577. Whetstone, Remembr. Gascoigne, in Steel Gl. (Arb.), 24. The Colliers cut, the Courtiars Steed will tire.
1596. Shaks., 1 Hen. IV., II. i. 6. I prethee Tom, beate Cuts Saddle … the poore Iade is wrung in the withers.
1612. Two Noble K., III. iv. He’s buy me a white cut, forth for to ride.
† 29. A term of abuse, applied to a man or woman. Obs. or dial.
[Perh. from prec. sense: with Call me cut, cf. Falstaff’s ‘call me horse’ in 1 Hen. IV., II. iv. 215. As applied to a woman, app. more opprobrious: cf. CUTTY.]
c. 1490. H. Medwall, Nature. If thou se hym not take hys owne way Call me cut when thou metest me another day.
1575. J. Still, Gamm. Gurton, V. ii. That lying cut is lost, that she is not swinged and beaten.
1601. Shaks., Twel. N., II. iii. 203. If thou hast her not i’ the end, call me Cut.
1605. Lond. Prodigal, C ij b. And I doe not meete him, chill giue you leaue to call me cut.
1725. New Cant. Dict., A Cut in some Northern Counties … signifies a Strumpet.
1820. Scott, Abbot, xix. ‘You shall call me cutt if I do go down,’ said Adam.
† 30. a. Gunnery. A short cannon of any calibre.
1672. Compleat Gunner, I. vii. 9. Bastard Pieces are shorter chases … and are therefore called Cuts of the same nature of the Piece they agree with in the bore; as those of Demi-Culverin bore, are called Demi-Culverin Cuts, etc.
b. Gaming. (pl.) = Cut dice; dice made of irregular shape for cheating. Obs.
1711. Puckle, Club, 21, note. At dice they have the doctors, the fulloms, loaded dice, flats, bars, cuts.
† 31. A kind of blanket: see quot. Obs.
1677. Plot, Nat. Hist. Oxfordshire, 279. Of their best tail wooll they make the blankets of 6 quarters broad, commonly called cuts, which serve Sea-men for their Hammocs.
32. pl. Persons who have ‘cut’ each other, i.e., renounced each other’s acquaintance. colloq.
1871. Daily News, 13 Feb., 5/6. Bismarck and ‘our Fritz,’ are very nearly what schoolboys call ‘cuts.’
1880. Times, 21 Sept., 4/1. People who leave Southampton the best of friends and arrive in Bombay dead cuts.
VII. † 33. Falconry. (Of uncertain history. See quot.)
1611. Cotgr., Cousteau … the principall feather in a Hawkes wing, tearmed by our Faulkoners (in short-winged Hawkes) the Cut, or Cuttie.
VIII. † 34. Phrase. To keep one’s cut, keep cut: a phrase of obscure origin, meaning something like: ‘To keep one’s distance, be coy or reserved.’ Most of the later occurrences appear to refer to Skelton’s Phyllyp Sparrowe, or at least to have the same origin. Obs.
[The variant fend cut suggests a fencing phrase: but there is the great difficulty, referred to above, of the early date of the phrase, which makes it doubtful whether it really belongs to this word; and its place here must be considered as merely provisional.]
a. 1400[?]. Cov. Myst., Woman taken in Adultery, 148. Com forth, thou sloveyn! com forthe, thou slutte! We xal the teche with carys colde, A lytyl bettyr to kepe thi kutte.
1421–2. Hoccleve, Dial., 789. If … some of hem thee ther-of vpbreide, Thow [Hoccleve] shalt be bisy ynow … Thy kut to keepe.
a. 1529. Skelton, P. Sparowe, 118. It wold syt on a stole And lerned after my scole For to kepe his cut, With, Phyllyp, kepe youre cut.
a. 1577. Gascoigne, Praise P. Sparrow, Wks. (1587), 285. As if you say but fend cut Phip, Lord, how the peat will turne and skip.
1581. Sidney, Astr. & Stella, lxxxiii. Good brother Philip … craftily you seem’d your cut to keepe, As though that faire soft hand did you great wrong.
a. 1627. Middleton, More Dissemblers, I. iv. O that a boy should so keep cut with his mother, and be given to dissembling.
1632. Brome, North. Lasse, I. ii. And Philip ’twas my Sparrow … Chirp it would, And hop, and fly to fist, Keepe cut, as ’twere a Vsurers Gold, And bill me when I list. Ibid. (a. 1652), New Acad., IV. i. But look how she turnes and keeps cut like my Sparrow.
IX. 35. Comb., a. with advbs., as cut-in, an act of cutting in; cut-down, a reduction in wages (cf. CUT v. 53): see also CUT-OFF, CUT-OUT, CUT-UP; b. † cut-beaten a., beaten with cuts or strokes of a whip, etc.; cut-heal, name for a species of valerian; cut-line (Rackets), a line painted on the front wall about the height of 9 ft. 6 in. from the floor, above which the ball must be served; cut-looker (Weaving), see quot.; cut-mark (Weaving), see quot.; cut-over, a sharp cut or stroke over the legs, etc. (cf. CUT v. 57 c); † cut-painted a., adorned with cuts or gashes, tattooed; cut-side, the side of a canal or of a railway cutting.
1634. S. R[owley], Noble Soldier, II. i. I’de make thee roare, And weare *cut-beaten-sattyn.
1888. Boston (Mass.) Jrnl., 30 July, 2/3. Strike against a *cut-down.
1892. in Nation (N. Y.), 11 Aug., 100/3. No cut-down in wages since the passage of the McKinley law.
1863. Prior, Plant-n., *Cut-heal, the valerian.
1878–86. Britten & Holland, Plant-n., Cut-heal, Valeriana officinalis according to Prior, but more likely V. pyrenaica.
1883. Referee, 17 June, 7/4 (Farmer). I am anxious to have a *cut in and get a big advertisement for nothing.
1891. Labour Commission Gloss., *Cut-looker, the person who examines and is held responsible for the work produced by the weaver. A cut or piece means a given length of calico.
1874. Knight, Dict. Mech., *Cut-mark, a mark made upon a set of warp-threads before placing on the warp-beam of the loom, to mark off a certain definite length.
1874. Dasent, Half a Life, I. 155. The marks of kicks and *cuts over at hockey.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., 1239. They couered their *Cut-painted bodies with Garments.
1870. Birm. Town Crier, IX. No. 13. 8/1. Walk along the *cutside, and chuck pebbles over the summit bridge.
