cutting

/ˈkʌtɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌtɪŋ/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkə-tiŋ/ (ame, mw) · /ˈkʌt.ɪŋ/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkʌt̬.ɪŋ/ (ame, ipa)

cutting — noun

  • cuttingsingular
  • cuttingsplural

1. a short article or image removed from a newspaper, magazine, or other printed pu

1.名詞B1
釋義

a short article or image removed from a newspaper, magazine, or other printed publication, usually to keep or share

例句

Grandma kept a box of old newspaper clippings about the royal wedding in her wardrobe.

collocation: newspaper clippings

Chidi stuck a magazine cutting with a chicken curry recipe on his fridge.

cutting + from + [source]

同義詞
  • clipping

    more common in American English, but identical in meaning

  • excerpt

    can refer to a piece of text from any source, not just a printed publication

文法句型

a cutting from + [newspaper/magazine]

用法筆記

The pattern a cutting from + [source] is very common. People often say newspaper cutting, press cutting, or magazine cutting before the noun clipping is more common in American English.

常見錯誤

❌I read a cutting on the bus.
✅I read a newspaper clipping on the bus.
💡Without newspaper or magazine before it, a cutting alone does not clearly refer to a printed article from a publication.

2. a small section taken from a parent plant, like a stem or leaf, that can be plac

2.名詞B1
釋義

a small section taken from a parent plant, like a stem or leaf, that can be placed in soil or water where it will develop roots and become a separate, mature plant

例句

Gabriela took a cutting from a neighbour's rose bush and planted it at home.

verb pattern: take a cutting from [plant]

To grow more mint, place a cutting in water near a sunny window.

同義詞
  • slip

    informal term for a small stem cutting, especially in British gardening

  • offshoot

    refers to a new growth from the parent plant, not a deliberately removed section

文法句型

take a cutting

a cutting from + [plant]

用法筆記

Take a cutting is the most common verb pair. A cutting can come from many parts of a plant: stem cutting, leaf cutting, or root cutting.

常見錯誤

❌I need to buy a cutting of tomatoes from the shop.
✅I need to buy tomato seeds from the shop.
💡Cutting refers to taking a piece of an existing plant to grow a new one. Most vegetables are grown from seeds, not cuttings.

3. a man-made channel dug through a hill or raised land, allowing vehicles or train

3.名詞C1
釋義

a man-made channel dug through a hill or raised land, allowing vehicles or trains to travel at a consistent height without climbing the slope

例句

The train went through a deep cutting in the hillside just before the coastal station.

through a [adjective] cutting

Workers used explosives to blast a cutting for the new motorway through solid rock.

create a cutting for + [road]

同義詞
  • trench

    usually narrower and dug for pipes or military purposes, not typically for roads or rails

  • channel

    can refer to a water passage or a man-made cut, but is broader in meaning

反義詞
  • embankment

    a raised structure built to carry a road or railway above the surrounding land

文法句型

[road/railway] + cutting

用法筆記

Common in British English and in technical descriptions of transport infrastructure. The opposite of a cutting is an embankment, where the road or railway is built up above the surrounding ground.

常見錯誤

❌The car drove through a cutting in the forest.
✅The car drove through a gap in the trees.
💡Cutting in this sense refers specifically to a man-made passage for transport routes through high ground, not just any opening in nature.

4. a piece that has been detached from a larger object by slicing or trimming, ofte

4.名詞B2
釋義

a piece that has been detached from a larger object by slicing or trimming, often a leftover or fragment

例句

The chef tossed the vegetable cuttings into the compost bin behind the restaurant kitchen.

collocation: vegetable cuttings / compost

Rania saved the fabric cuttings from her dress project to make a small patchwork bag.

fabric cuttings + [project]

同義詞
  • offcut

    British English term for a leftover piece of material, especially in woodworking or construction

  • remnant

    usually refers to a leftover piece of fabric or carpet sold at a discount

文法句型

[material] + cuttings

用法筆記

Frequently used in the plural (cuttings) to describe small leftover pieces from cooking, sewing, woodwork, or manufacturing. In singular, it usually refers to a single shaped piece like a gemstone or metal part.

常見錯誤

❌I bought some paper cuttings for my scrapbook.' (when meaning pre-decorated paper)
✅I bought some patterned paper for my scrapbook.
💡Cuttings are leftover pieces from a cutting activity, not a product you purchase by name.

cutting — adjective