cutaway

cutaway — noun

IPA/ˈkʌt.ə.weɪ/
KK[kˈʌtəwe]IPA/ˈkʌt̬.ə.weɪ/
  • cutawaysingular
  • cutawaysplural

1. a brief moment in a film or TV programme that switches to something else, away f

1.nounC2
Definition

a brief moment in a film or TV programme that switches to something else, away from the main scene

Example

The director added a cutaway to the crowd just before the goal was scored.

cutaway to + the new subject

During the interview, the editor inserted a cutaway showing the empty courtroom.

Common collocations
  • quick cutaway
  • brief cutaway
  • cutaway to
Synonyms
  • insert

    a general inserted shot; not always away from the main action

  • reaction shot

    a cutaway aimed at someone's facial response

Grammar Patterns

cutaway to + noun

Usage Note

Usually takes 'to' + the new subject ('a cutaway to the audience'); the main action is understood to keep going while it plays.

Common Mistakes

The director filmed a ten-minute cutaway of the city.
The director filmed a two-second cutaway to the city skyline.
a cutaway is a brief shot, not a long scene.

2. a drawing, model, or photo in which the outer shell is removed so you can look a

2.nounC2
Definition

a drawing, model, or photo in which the outer shell is removed so you can look at the working parts inside

Example

The textbook showed a cutaway of the human heart with every valve labelled.

cutaway of + the object

Ezra studied a cutaway of the jet engine before his exam.

Common collocations
  • cutaway of
  • detailed cutaway
Synonyms
  • cross-section

    a view cut straight through; a cutaway may peel away only part of the shell

Grammar Patterns

cutaway of + noun

Usage Note

Typically followed by 'of' + the object whose interior is shown; the object stays recognisable, unlike a flat cross-section.

3. a hole left in a picture or sheet of material after a piece has been removed

3.noun
Definition

a hole left in a picture or sheet of material after a piece has been removed

Example

The artist left a small cutaway in the poster so light shone through.

cutaway in + material forms a hole

Devika cut a neat cutaway in the cardboard to make a tiny window.

Common collocations
  • small cutaway
  • round cutaway
Synonyms
  • cut-out

    the removed piece or the gap; nearly the same here

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 2: sense 2 is the whole see-inside image, while sense 3 is only the removed piece or the gap it leaves.

4. a curved notch cut into a guitar body beside the neck, or the notch itself, whic

4.noun
Definition

a curved notch cut into a guitar body beside the neck, or the notch itself, which helps a player reach the high notes

Example

The guitarist chose a model with a deep cutaway to reach the high frets.

deep cutaway for reaching high frets

Karim's new guitar has a deep cutaway so he can reach the top frets.

Common collocations
  • deep cutaway
  • single cutaway

5. a man's formal coat that is cut short across the front and slopes back into two

5.noun
Definition

a man's formal coat that is cut short across the front and slopes back into two long tails

Example

The groom wore a grey cutaway to his formal morning wedding.

cutaway for formal daytime events

Christopher rented a black cutaway and silk waistcoat for the ambassador's reception.

Synonyms
  • morning coat

    the same formal daytime coat, especially in British use

cutaway — adjective

IPA/ˈkʌtəweɪ/
KK[kˈʌtəwe]IPA/ˈkʌtəweɪ/

Word family

  • cut
    verbA1
  • cut
    nounA2
  • cutout
    nounC1

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/2

A cutaway, a cross-section, an exploded view, a schematic, and a blueprint all help people see how something is built, but they work differently. A cutaway removes part of an object's outer shell so the inside shows while the rest stays whole — you still recognise the engine or ship. A cross-section slices straight through, showing a flat face as if the object were sawn in two. An exploded view pulls every part slightly apart to show how the pieces fit together. A schematic is a simplified, symbol-based plan, common in electronics, that ignores real shape. A blueprint is a precise technical drawing used to actually build something. Choose 'cutaway' when you want the object to stay familiar while one side opens up to reveal the working parts inside.

cross-section ↗exploded viewschematicblueprint ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

  • cutaway view
  • cutaway shot
  • cutaway diagram
  • cutaway model
  • cutaway coat
  • cutaway guitar

Prepositions

  • cutaway of
  • cutaway to

Etymology

Old EnglishEnglish

Cutaway was formed in English by joining the verb 'cut' and the adverb 'away'. The shared idea is that part of something is cut and taken away: a coat cut away at the front, a drawing with its outer shell cut away, and a film shot that cuts away from the main action. It first described the tailored formal coat in the early 1800s, then later spread to technical diagrams and, in the twentieth century, to film and television editing.

First known use

1834

1834, in the meaning defined above Noun