cut off
Britishverb
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to remove by cutting
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to intercept or interrupt something, esp a telephone conversation
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to discontinue the supply of
to cut off the water
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to bring to an end
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to deprive of rights; disinherit
she was cut off without a penny
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to sever or separate
she was cut off from her family
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to occupy a position so as to prevent or obstruct (a retreat or escape)
noun
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the act of cutting off; limit or termination
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( as modifier )
the cutoff point
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a route or way that is shorter than the usual one; short cut
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a device to terminate the flow of a fluid in a pipe or duct
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Also called: offcut. the remnant of metal, plastic, etc, left after parts have been machined or trimmed
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electronics
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the value of voltage, frequency, etc, below or above which an electronic device cannot function efficiently
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( as modifier )
cutoff voltage
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a channel cutting across the neck of a meander, which leaves an oxbow lake
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another name for oxbow
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Separate from others, isolate, as in The construction debris cut off the workers from the canteen , or The new sect was cut off from the church . [Late 1500s]
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Stop suddenly, discontinue, as in He quickly cut off the engine , or The drama was cut off by a news flash about tornado warnings . [Late 1500s]
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Shut off, bar, Their phone was cut off when they didn't pay the bill , or Tom's father threatened to cut off his allowance . [c. 1600]
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Interrupt the course or passage of, intercept, as in The operator cut us off , or The shortstop cut off the throw to the plate . [Late 1500s]
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Also, . Disinherit, as in Grandfather cut him off with a shilling . This usage dates from the early 1700s; the purpose of bequeathing one shilling (a small sum) was to indicate that the heir had not been overlooked but was intentionally being disinherited. In America cent was substituted from about 1800 on.
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The laughter cut off immediately, and I felt an embarrassed flush creep up my neck and into my ears, turning them beet red.
From Literature
He set it in London for reasons topographical — ”I needed a city that was on an island so it would be completely cut off” — and historic — ”in homage to Shakespeare.”
From Los Angeles Times
Azi Adibi, 45, also in Atlanta, said she was worried about family in Iran, having been unable to reach her brother since "the internet got cut off."
From Barron's
"I'm both worried and happy, hoping for Iran's freedom," said Sepideh, a former teacher, who told AFP she managed to speak to a few friends in the morning, despite Iran cutting off all internet access.
From Barron's
Clinton said that he would have cut off ties to Epstein and never would have flown on his plane if he "had any inkling of what he was doing".
From BBC
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
