American English

break

I. break¹ S1 W1 /breɪk/ BrE AmE verb (past tense broke /brəʊk $ broʊk/, past participle broken /ˈbrəʊkən $ ˈbroʊ-/)
[Word Family: noun: ↑break, ↑outbreak, ↑breakage; adjective: ↑breakable ≠ ↑unbreakable, ↑broken ≠ ↑unbroken; verb: ↑break]
[Language: Old English; Origin: brecan]
1. SEPARATE INTO PIECES
a) [transitive] if you break something, you make it separate into two or more pieces, for example by hitting it, dropping it, or bending it:
I had to break a window to get into the house.
Don’t lean on the fence like that – you’ll break it!
break something in half/two
He broke the biscuit in half and handed one piece to me.
Break the chocolate into small pieces and melt it over a gentle heat.
b) [intransitive] if something breaks, it separates into two or more pieces:
He kept pulling at the rope until it broke.
The frames are made of plastic and they tend to break quite easily.
2. BONES [transitive] to damage a bone in your body by making it crack or split:
She fell downstairs and broke her hip.
3. MACHINES
a) [transitive] to damage a machine so that it does not work properly:
Don’t mess about with my camera – you’ll break it.
Someone’s broken the TV.
b) [intransitive] if a machine breaks, it stops working properly:
The washing machine’s broken again.
4. RULES/LAWS [transitive] to disobey a rule or law:
They’re breaking the law by employing such young children.
If you break the rules, you will be punished.
The cameras catch motorists who break the speed limit.
5. PROMISE/AGREEMENT [transitive] to not do something that you have promised to do or signed an agreement to do:
I never break my promises.
You betrayed me. You broke your word.
break an agreement/contract
He was worried that he might be breaking his contract.
6. STOP/REST [intransitive] to stop for a short time in order to have a rest or eat something
break for
Shall we break for lunch now?
7. END SOMETHING [transitive] to stop something from continuing:
We need to break the cycle of poverty and crime in the inner cities.
We took turns driving, in order to try and break the monotony.
New talks will begin on Monday in an effort to break the deadlock.
8. DEFEAT SOMEBODY [transitive] to make someone feel that they have been completely defeated and they cannot continue working or living:
Losing his business nearly broke him.
I won’t give in. I won’t be broken by him.
9. DESTROY AN ORGANIZATION [transitive] to damage an organization so badly that it no longer has any power:
The government succeeded in breaking the unions.
10. DAY/DAWN [intransitive] when the day or the ↑dawn breaks, the sky gets light:
Dawn was breaking by the time we arrived home.
11. STORM [intransitive] if a storm breaks, it begins:
We were keen to get back to the hotel before the storm broke.
12. WEATHER [intransitive] if the weather breaks, it suddenly changes and becomes cold or wet:
The following day the weather broke and we had ten days of solid rain.
13. WAVES [intransitive] when waves break, they fall onto the land at the edge of the water:
We sat and watched the waves breaking on the shore
14. SB’S VOICE [intransitive]
a) when a boy’s voice breaks, it becomes lower and starts to sound like a man’s voice:
He was fifteen, and his voice was just beginning to break.
b) if your voice breaks, it does not sound smooth because you are feeling strong emotions:
Her voice broke as she told us what had happened.
15. NEWS
a) [intransitive] if news about an important event breaks, it becomes known:
News of his resignation broke yesterday.
The minister has refused to give any interviews since the scandal broke.
b) [transitive] if you break unpleasant news to someone, you tell it to them:
I didn’t know how I was going to break the news to my mother.
The doctor finally broke it to me that there was no cure.
16. break a habit to stop doing something that you do regularly, especially something that you should not do:
a new drug which helps smokers to break their habit
17. break a record to do something even faster or even better than the previous best time, amount etc:
an attempt to break the 10,000-metres world record
18. break a journey British English to stop somewhere for a short time during a long journey:
We decided to break our journey in Oxford.
19. break sb’s heart to make someone very unhappy by ending a relationship with them or doing something that upsets them a lot:
He broke my heart when he left me.
It’ll break your father’s heart if you tell him you’re giving up college.
20. break a strike to force workers to end a ↑strike:
The government has threatened to bring in the army to break the 10-month-old strike.
21. break a link/tie/connection to end a relationship with a person or organization:
The US has now broken all diplomatic links with the regime.
Sometimes it is necessary to break family ties in order to protect the child.
22. break the skin to cut the skin on your body:
Their teeth are sharp enough to break the skin.
23. break the back of something to finish the main or worst part of something:
I think we’ve broken the back of the job now.
24. break the bank to cost a lot of money, or more money than you have:
A new hard drive doesn’t have to break the bank.
25. break sb’s concentration to interrupt someone and stop them from being able to continue thinking or talking about something:
The slightest sound would break his concentration.
26. break the silence to end a period of silence by talking or making a noise:
The silence was broken by a loud scream.
27. break sb’s spirit to destroy someone’s feeling of determination:
They could not break her spirit.
The spirit of our soldiers will never be broken.
28. break sb’s power to take away someone’s position of power or control:
At last the power of the Church was finally broken.
29. break the ice informal to make people feel more friendly and willing to talk to each other:
Sam’s arrival broke the ice and people began to talk and laugh.
30. break a code to succeed in understanding something that is written in a secret way:
Scientists worked day and night to break the code.
31. break wind to allow gas to escape from your bottom, making a noise and an unpleasant smell
32. break (sb’s) serve to win a game in tennis when your opponent is starting the game by hitting the ball first:
Hewitt broke serve twice in the second set.
33. break a leg spoken used to wish someone luck, especially just before they perform on stage
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 5)
■ break + NOUN
▪ break your promise I’ll never forgive him for breaking his promise to me.
▪ break your word (=break your promise) I’ve promised to do it and I never break my word.
▪ break your vow (=break a serious or formal promise) He accused her of breaking her marriage vows.
▪ break (off) your engagement In the end she decided to break their engagement.
▪ break a contract He took the company to court for breaking the contract.
▪ break an agreement This action broke the international agreement of 1925.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to break something
▪ break verb [transitive] to damage something and make it separate into pieces, for example by dropping it or hitting it: Careful you don’t break the chair. | He broke his leg.
▪ smash verb [transitive] to break something with a lot of force: A policeman smashed his camera.
▪ snap verb [transitive] to break something into two pieces, making a loud noise – used especially about long thin objects: He snapped the sticks in two.
▪ split verb [transitive] to separate something into two pieces along a straight line: Using a sharp knife, split the melon in half.
▪ fracture verb [transitive] to damage a bone, especially so that a line appears on the surface: I fell over and fractured my wrist.
▪ tear /teə $ ter/ verb [transitive] to damage paper or cloth by pulling it so that it separates into pieces: She tore up the letter and put it in the bin. | I tore my jacket.
■ to become broken
▪ break verb [intransitive] to become damaged and separate into pieces: Plastic breaks quite easily.
▪ smash verb [intransitive] to break after being hit with a lot of force: The bowl smashed as it hit the floor.
▪ shatter verb [intransitive] to break into a lot of small pieces: The glass shattered all over the pavement.
▪ crack verb [intransitive] if something cracks, a line appears on the surface, which means that it could later break into separate pieces: The ice was starting to crack.
▪ burst verb [intransitive] if a tyre, balloon, pipe etc bursts, it gets a hole and air or liquid suddenly comes out of it: She blew up the balloon until it burst.
▪ split verb [intransitive] to break in a straight line: The damp had caused the wood to split.
▪ crumble verb [intransitive] to break into a powder or a lot of small pieces: The cork just crumbled in my hand.
break away phrasal verb
1. to leave a group or political party and form another group, usually because of a disagreement:
More than 30 Labour MPs broke away to form a new left-wing party.
break away from
They broke away from the national union and set up their own local organization. ⇨ ↑breakaway²
2. to leave your home, family, or job and become independent
break away from
I felt the need to break away from home.
3. to move away from someone who is holding you:
She started crying and tried to break away.
break away from
She broke away from him and ran to the door.
4. to move away from other people in a race or game:
Radcliffe broke away 200 metres before the finish.
5. to become loose and no longer attached to something:
Part of the plane’s wing had broken away.
break down phrasal verb
1. if a car or machine breaks down, it stops working:
The car broke down just north of Paris.
The printing machines are always breaking down. ⇨ ↑breakdown
2. to fail or stop working in a successful way:
Negotiations broke down after only two days.
I left London when my marriage broke down. ⇨ ↑breakdown
3. break something ↔ down if you break down a door, you hit it so hard that it breaks and falls to the ground:
Police had to break down the door to get into the flat.
4. break something ↔ down to change or remove something that prevents people from working together and having a successful relationship with each other:
Getting young people together will help to break down the barriers between them.
It takes a long time to break down prejudices.
5. if a substance breaks down, or something breaks it down, it changes as a result of a chemical process
break something ↔ down
Food is broken down in the stomach.
Bacteria are added to help break down the sewage.
6. to be unable to stop yourself crying, especially in public:
He broke down and cried.
She broke down in tears when she heard the news.
7. break something ↔ down to separate something into smaller parts so that it is easier to do or understand:
He showed us the whole dance, then broke it down so that we could learn it more easily.
The question can be broken down into two parts.
⇨ ↑breakdown
break for something phrasal verb
to suddenly run towards something, especially in order to escape from someone:
He broke for the door, but the guards got there before he did.
break in phrasal verb
1. to enter a building by using force, in order to steal something:
Thieves broke in and stole £10,000 worth of computer equipment. ⇨ ↑break-in
2. to interrupt someone when they are speaking
break in on
I didn’t want to break in on his telephone conversation.
break in with
Dad would occasionally break in with an amusing comment.
3. break something ↔ in to make new shoes or boots less stiff and more comfortable by wearing them:
I went for a walk to break in my new boots.
4. break somebody in to help a person get used to a certain way of behaving or working:
She’s quite new to the job, so we’re still breaking her in.
5. break something ↔ in to teach a young horse to carry people on its back:
We break the horses in when they’re about two years old.
break into something phrasal verb
1. to enter a building or car by using force, in order to steal something:
Someone broke into my car and stole the radio.
Her house was broken into last week.
2. to become involved in a new job or business activity:
She made an attempt to break into journalism.
It’s a profession that is very hard to break into.
Many British firms have failed in their attempts to break into the American market.
3. to start to spend money that you did not want to spend:
I don’t want to break into my savings unless I have to.
4. break into a run/trot etc to suddenly start running:
He broke into a run as he came round the corner.
5. break into a smile/a song/applause etc to suddenly start smiling, singing etc:
Her face broke into a smile.
The audience broke into loud applause.
break somebody of something phrasal verb
to make someone stop having a bad habit:
Try to break yourself of the habit of eating between meals.
break off phrasal verb
1. to suddenly stop talking:
She started to speak, then broke off while a waitress served us coffee.
He broke off in mid-sentence to shake hands with the new arrivals.
break something ↔ off
I broke off the conversation and answered the phone.
2. break something ↔ off to end a relationship:
She broke off their engagement only a few weeks before they were due to be married.
The US has broken off diplomatic relations with the regime.
3. if something breaks off, or if you break it off, it comes loose and is no longer attached to something else:
One of the car’s wing mirrors had broken off.
break something ↔ off
He broke off a piece of bread.
break out phrasal verb
1. if something unpleasant such as a fire, fight, or war breaks out, it starts to happen:
I was still living in London when the war broke out.
Does everyone know what to do if a fire breaks out?
Fighting broke out between demonstrators and the police. ⇨ ↑outbreak
2. to escape from a prison
break out of
Three men have broken out of a top-security jail. ⇨ ↑breakout
3. to change the way you live because you feel bored
break out of
She felt the need to break out of her daily routine.
4. break out in spots/a rash/a sweat etc if you break out in spots etc, they appear on your skin:
I broke out in a painful rash.
My whole body broke out in a sweat.
break through phrasal verb
1. break through (something) to manage to get past or through something that is in your way:
Several demonstrators broke through the barriers despite warnings from the police.
After hours of fierce fighting, rebels broke through and captured the capital.
2. break through (something) if the sun breaks through, you can see it when you could not see it before because there were clouds:
The sun broke through at around lunch time.
The sun soon broke through the mist.
3. to manage to do something successfully when there is a difficulty that is preventing you:
He’s a very talented young actor who’s just ready to break through.
break through into
It is possible that at this election some of the minority parties might succeed in breaking through into parliament.
⇨ ↑breakthrough
break up phrasal verb
1. if something breaks up, or if you break it up, it breaks into a lot of small pieces:
It seems that the plane just broke up in the air.
break something ↔ up
Use a fork to break up the soil.
2. break something ↔ up to separate something into several smaller parts:
There are plans to break the company up into several smaller independent companies.
You need a few trees and bushes to break up the lawn.
3. break something ↔ up to stop a fight:
Three policemen were needed to break up the fight.
4. break something ↔ up to make people leave a place where they have been meeting or protesting:
Government soldiers broke up the demonstration.
Police moved in to break up the meeting.
5. if a marriage, group of people, or relationship breaks up, the people in it separate and do not live or work together any more:
He lost his job and his marriage broke up.
The couple broke up last year.
Many bands break up because of personality clashes between the musicians.
break up with
Has Sam really broken up with Lucy? ⇨ ↑breakup
6. if a meeting or party breaks up, people start to leave:
The party didn’t break up until after midnight.
The meeting broke up without any agreement.
7. British English when a school breaks up, it closes for a holiday:
School breaks up next week.
break up for
When do you break up for Easter?
8. break somebody up American English informal to make someone laugh by saying or doing something funny:
He breaks me up!
break with somebody/something phrasal verb
1. to leave a group of people or an organization, especially because you have had a disagreement with them:
She had broken with her family years ago.
They broke with the Communist Party and set up a new party.
2. break with tradition/the past to stop following old customs and do something in a completely different way:
Now is the time to break with the past.
His work broke with tradition in many ways.

cut

I. cut¹ S1 W1 /kʌt/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle cut, present participle cutting)
[Word Family: noun: ↑cut, ↑cutting, ↑cutter; verb: ↑cut, ↑undercut; adjective: ↑cutting]
[Date: 1200-1300; Origin: From an unrecorded Old English cytan]
1. REDUCE [transitive] to reduce the amount of something:
They’re introducing CCTV cameras in an attempt to cut street crime in the area.
You need to cut the amount of fat and sugar in your diet.
Scientists are warning that unless carbon emissions are cut, we could be heading for an environmental catastrophe.
Seven hundred jobs will be lost in order to cut costs and boost profits.
The major aviation companies need to cut prices if they are to compete with budget airlines.
cut something by £1 million/$5 billion/half etc
The welfare budget has been cut by $56 billion.
cut something off something
A new direct service will cut two hours off the flying time between London and Seoul.
Staffing levels had already been cut to the bone (=reduced to the lowest level possible).
2. DIVIDE SOMETHING WITH A KNIFE, SCISSORS ETC [intransitive and transitive] to divide something or separate something from its main part, using scissors, a knife etc:
Do you want me to cut the cake?
The telephone wires had been cut minutes before the assault.
cut something with something
Jane cut the cord with a knife.
cut somebody something
Can you cut me a piece of bread, please?
cut along/across/round etc
Using a pair of scissors, cut carefully along the dotted lines.
cut through
We’ll need a saw that will cut through metal.
cut something in half/in two
Cut the orange in half.
cut something into slices/chunks/pieces etc (=make something into a particular shape by cutting)
Cut the carrots into thin strips.
cut something to size/length (=cut something so that it is the size you need)
The curtain pole can be cut to length. ⇨ CUT AWAY, CUT OFF, ↑cut out, ↑cut up
3. MAKE SOMETHING SHORTER WITH A KNIFE ETC [transitive] to make something shorter with a knife, scissors etc, especially in order to make it neater:
For reasons of hygiene, we had to cut our fingernails really short.
cut the lawn/grass/hedge etc
From outside came the sound of someone cutting the hedge.
have/get your hair cut
It’s about time you got your hair cut.
4. REMOVE PARTS FROM FILM ETC [transitive] to remove parts from a film, book, speech etc, for example because it is too long or might offend people:
The original version was cut by more than 30 minutes.
5. MAKE A HOLE/MARK [intransitive and transitive] to make a hole or mark in the surface of something, or to open it using a sharp tool
cut into
The blade cut deep into the wood.
cut something into something
Strange letters had been cut into the stone.
Cut a hole in the middle of the paper.
Cut open the chillies and remove the seeds.
6. INJURE [transitive] to injure yourself on something sharp that breaks the skin and makes you bleed
cut your finger/knee/hand etc
I noticed he’d cut his finger quite badly.
cut yourself (on something)
Marcie said she’d cut herself on a broken glass.
That knife’s extremely sharp! Mind you don’t cut yourself.
On Eric’s chin was a scrap of cotton wool where he’d cut himself shaving.
She fell and cut her head open.
7. MAKE/FORM SOMETHING BY CUTTING [transitive] to make or form something from a solid piece of wood, metal etc using a sharp tool:
I’ll get a spare key cut for you.
cut something from something
The chair had been cut from the trunk of a tree.
8. LET SOMEBODY GET FREE [transitive] to cut something such as metal or rope in order to let someone escape from where they are trapped
cut somebody from something
She had to be cut from the wreckage of her car.
He was in the vehicle for an hour before he was cut free.
9. TOOL/MATERIAL [intransitive] if a tool cuts well, badly etc, it cuts things well or badly etc:
professional quality tools that cut efficiently and smoothly
10. CLOTHES [transitive usually passive] if a piece of clothing is cut in a particular way, that is the way it is designed and made:
The T-shirt is cut fairly low at the neck.
11. ON COMPUTER [intransitive and transitive] to remove something from a document or ↑file on a computer:
To cut text, press Control + C.
Cut and paste the picture into a new file (=remove it and then make it appear in a new file).
12. GO A QUICK WAY [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] to get to somewhere by a quicker and more direct way than the usual way ⇨ shortcut
cut through/down/across etc
I usually cut through the car park to get to work.
Let’s cut across the field.
13. DIVIDE AN AREA [intransitive and transitive] to divide an area into two or more parts
cut something in/into something
The river cuts the whole region in two.
cut through
The new road will cut through a conservation area.
14. PLAYING CARDS [intransitive and transitive] to divide a pack of cards into two:
First cut the pack, and then deal the cards
15. MUSIC [transitive] to produce a ↑CD, song etc for people to buy:
The band cut their first single in 2001.
16. CROPS [transitive] to take the top part off crops such as wheat before gathering them
17. cut a deal to make a business deal:
A French company has reportedly cut a deal to produce software for government agencies.
18. cut (somebody) a check American English informal to write a ↑check for a particular amount of money and give it to someone:
When the damage assessor called, he cut a check for $139.
19. cut! spoken said by the ↑director of a film to tell people to stop acting, filming etc
20. PUT A FILM TOGETHER [transitive] to put the parts of a film together so that they make a continuous story, and get rid of the parts you do not want
21. cut in line American English to unfairly go in front of other people who are waiting to do something
22. cut class/school American English informal to deliberately not go to a class that you should go to:
She started cutting classes.
23. cut your teeth (on something) to get your first experience of doing something and learn the basic skills:
Both reporters cut their journalistic teeth on the same provincial newspaper.
24. cut corners to do something in a way that saves time, effort, or money, but that also results in it not being done properly:
There’s a temptation to cut corners when you’re pushed for time, but it’s not worth it.
25. cut something short to stop doing something earlier than you planned:
The band has cut short its US concert tour.
Her athletic career was cut short by a leg injury.
26. cut somebody short to stop someone from finishing what they wanted to say:
I tried to explain, but he cut me short.
27. cut the ... spoken an impolite way of telling someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you:
Cut the sarcasm, Jane, and tell me what really happened!
Cut the crap (=stop saying something that is not true)! I saw his car outside your house.
28. cut somebody dead to deliberately ignore someone when you meet them:
I saw Ian in town but he cut me dead.
29. cut your losses to stop doing something that is failing, so that you do not waste any more money, time, or effort:
He decided to cut his losses and sell the business.
30. LINE [transitive] if a line cuts another line, they cross each other at a particular point
31. TOOTH [transitive] if a baby cuts a tooth, the tooth starts to grow
32. cut somebody to the quick/bone literary to upset someone very much by saying something cruel:
His mockery frightened her and cut her to the bone.
33. cut to the chase informal to immediately start dealing with the most important part of something
34. cut a fine/strange etc figure literary to have an impressive, strange etc appearance:
Mason cuts a battered but defiant figure.
35. cut your own throat to behave in a way that will cause harm to yourself, especially because you are very offended or angry about something:
He’d just be cutting his own throat if he left now.
36. (it) cuts both ways spoken used to say that something has two effects, especially a good effect and a bad one:
The higher the interest rate, the greater the financial risk – which, of course, cuts both ways.
37. cut the ground from under sb’s feet to make someone or their ideas seem less impressive by having better ideas yourself or doing something before they do
38. cut and run informal to avoid a difficult situation by leaving suddenly:
Although the company has faced financial difficulties, they do not intend to cut and run.
39. cut no ice/not cut much ice if something cuts no ice with someone, it will not persuade them to change their opinion or decision:
It’s unlikely that these arguments will cut much ice with Democrats.
40. cut the (umbilical) cord to stop being too dependent on someone, especially your parents
41. not cut the mustard informal to not be good enough:
Other magazines have tried to copy the formula but have never quite cut the mustard.
42. DRUGS [transitive usually passive] to mix an illegal drug such as ↑heroin with another substance
43. cut your coat according to your cloth to spend only as much money as you can afford
44. to cut a long story short spoken used to say that you are only going to mention the main facts of something:
To cut a long story short, he threw them out of the house.
45. cut it/things fine (also cut it close American English) to leave yourself just enough time to do something:
Even in normal traffic, 20 minutes to get to the airport is cutting it fine.
46. not cut it informal to not be good enough to do something:
Players who can’t cut it soon quit the team.
47. cut a swathe through something literary to cause a lot of damage in a place or among a group of people:
A series of bribery scandals has cut a swathe through the government.
48. you could cut the atmosphere with a knife informal used to say that everyone in a place is very annoyed or angry with each other and this is very easy to notice
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 1)
■ nouns
▪ cut costs (=reduce the amount you spend running a business, a home etc) They cut costs by getting rid of staff.
▪ cut prices Shops have been forced to cut their prices after very slow sales.
▪ cut taxes/rates The government is expected to cut interest rates next month.
▪ cut spending/borrowing In the 1990s, governments worldwide cut military spending.
▪ cut jobs The bank announced that it was cutting 500 jobs.
▪ cut crime Cameras have helped to cut crime in the town centre.
■ adverbs
▪ sharply/severely/drastically (=cut a lot) Housing benefit was sharply cut for all but the poorest people.
■ phrases
▪ cut something to the bone (=reduce it to the lowest level possible) Funding for art and music in schools has been cut to the bone.
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 2)
■ phrases
▪ cut somebody a piece/slice of something Shall I cut you a slice of cake?
▪ cut something in half/two (=into two pieces) Cut the tomatoes in half.
▪ cut something into pieces/slices/chunks etc Next cut the carrots into thin slices.
▪ cut something to size/length (=so that it is the size/length you need) The place where I bought the wood cut it to size for me.
■ adverbs
▪ cut something open Cut open the avocado and remove the stone.
▪ cut something lengthways (=cut it in the direction that is longest) First cut the fish in half lengthways.
▪ cut something cleanly (=with no uneven edges) Branches should be cut cleanly from the tree.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ cut to divide something into two or more pieces, especially using a knife or ↑scissors: Do you want me to cut the cake? | He cut off the lower branches.
▪ snip to quickly cut something, especially using ↑scissors: I snipped the label off. | The hairdresser snipped away at her hair.
▪ slit to make a long narrow cut through something, especially using a knife: He slit the envelope open with a penknife. | She slit through the plastic covering.
▪ slash to cut something quickly and violently with a knife, making a long thin cut: Someone had slashed the tyres on his car. | He tried to slash his wrists.
▪ saw to cut wood, using a ↑saw (=a tool with a row of sharp points): Saw the wood to the correct length.
▪ chop to cut wood, vegetables, or meat into pieces: Bill was outside chopping up firewood with an axe. | They chopped down the old tree. | finely chopped onion
▪ slice to cut bread, meat, or vegetables into thin pieces: I’ll slice the cucumber. | Slice the bread thinly.
▪ dice to cut vegetables or meat into small square pieces: First dice the apple into cubes.
▪ grate to cut cheese or a hard vegetable by rubbing it against a special tool: Grate the cheese and sprinkle it over the vegetables.
▪ peel to cut the outside part off something such as a potato or apple: I peeled the potatoes and put them in a saucepan.
▪ carve to cut thin pieces from a large piece of meat: Uncle Ray carved the turkey.
▪ mow to cut the grass in a garden, park etc: A gardener was mowing the lawn.
▪ trim (also clip) to cut a small amount off something, especially to make it look neater: He was trimming his beard. | Trim the excess fat off the meat.
cut across something phrasal verb
if a problem or feeling cuts across different groups of people, they are all affected by it:
Domestic violence seems to cut across most social divisions.
cut something ↔ away phrasal verb
to remove unwanted or unnecessary parts from something by cutting it:
Cut away all the dead wood.
cut back phrasal verb
1. to reduce the amount, size, cost etc of something
cut back on
Several major hospitals are cutting back on staff at the moment.
cut something ↔ back
Education spending cannot be cut back any further.
Richer countries must do more to cut back carbon emissions. ⇨ ↑cutback
2. cut something ↔ back to remove the top part of a plant in order to help it to grow:
Cut back the shoots in spring to encourage bushier growth.
3. to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health
cut back on
Try to cut back on foods containing wheat and dairy products.
cut down phrasal verb
1. REDUCE to reduce the amount of something
cut something ↔ down
Installing double-glazing will cut down the noise from traffic.
cut down on
By getting the design right, you can cut down on accidents.
2. EAT/USE LESS to eat, drink, or use less of something, especially in order to improve your health:
I’ve always smoked, but I’m trying to cut down.
cut down on
Cut down on fatty foods if you want to lose weight.
3. TREE cut something ↔ down to cut through the main part of a tree so that it falls on the ground
4. KILL cut somebody ↔ down literary to kill or injure someone, especially in a battle:
Hundreds of men were cut down by crossbow fire.
5. REDUCE LENGTH cut something ↔ down to reduce the length of something such as a piece of writing:
Your essay’s too long – it needs cutting down a little.
6. cut somebody down to size to make someone realize that they are not as important, successful etc as they think they are
cut in phrasal verb
1. INTERRUPT to interrupt someone who is speaking by saying something:
‘What shall I do?’ Patrick cut in again.
cut in on
Sorry to cut in on you, but there are one or two things I don’t understand.
2. DRIVING to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous way
cut in on
She cut in on a red Ford, forcing the driver to brake heavily.
3. MACHINE if a part of a machine cuts in, it starts to operate when it is needed:
The safety device cuts in automatically.
4. INCLUDE SOMEBODY cut somebody in informal to allow someone to take part in a plan or to make money from it
cut somebody in on
Come on, Joey, you promised to cut me in on this one!
cut somebody/something off phrasal verb
1. SEPARATE cut something ↔ off to separate something by cutting it away from the main part:
One of his fingers was cut off in the accident.
cut something off something
Cut the fat off the meat.
2. STOP SUPPLY cut something ↔ off to stop the supply of something such as electricity, gas, water etc:
The gas had been cut off.
The US has threatened to cut off economic and military aid.
3. get cut off to suddenly not be able to hear someone that you were speaking to on the telephone:
I don’t know what happened – we just got cut off.
4. be cut off
a) if a place is cut off, people cannot leave it or reach it:
In winter, the town is often cut off by snow.
b) to be a long way from other places and be difficult to get to:
Accessible only by air, the town is cut off from the rest of the country.
c) if someone is cut off, they are lonely and not able to meet many other people:
Many older people feel cut off and isolated.
5. STOP BEING FRIENDLY cut somebody ↔ off to stop having a friendly relationship with someone:
Julia had been completely cut off by all her family and friends.
cut yourself off (from somebody)
After his wife died, he cut himself off completely from the rest of the world.
6. INTERRUPT to interrupt someone and stop them from finishing what they were saying:
Emma cut him off in mid-sentence.
7. PREVENT SOMETHING cut somebody off from something to prevent someone from having something that they need or want:
The project aims to ensure that poorer people are not cut off from the benefits of computer technology.
8. MONEY/PROPERTY to refuse to let someone receive your money or property, especially when you die:
My parents threatened to cut me off without a penny if I married him.
9. DRIVING cut somebody ↔ off American English to suddenly drive in front of a moving car in a dangerous way:
A man in a station wagon cut me off on the freeway.
10. cut off your nose to spite your face to do something because you are angry, even though it will harm you
cut out phrasal verb
1. REMOVE SOMETHING cut something ↔ out to remove something by cutting round it:
The cancerous cells had to be cut out.
cut something ↔ out of
Billy showed me the article he’d cut out of the magazine.
2. CUT A SHAPE cut something ↔ out to cut a shape from a piece of paper, cloth etc:
The children were cutting out squares from the scraps of material.
3. STOP SOMETHING HAPPENING cut something ↔ out to stop something from happening or existing:
The idea behind these forms is to cut out fraud.
A catalytic converter will cut out 90% of carbon monoxide emissions.
4. STOP DOING/EATING SOMETHING cut something ↔ out to stop doing or eating something, especially because it might be bad for your health:
The current advice to pregnant women is to cut out alcohol.
5. FROM WRITING cut something ↔ out to remove something from a piece of writing, especially because it might offend people:
Cut out the bit about racial prejudice.
6. cut it/that out spoken used to tell someone to stop doing something because it is annoying you:
Hey, you guys, cut it out – Mom’s trying to get some sleep.
7. NOT INVOLVE SOMEBODY cut somebody ↔ out to stop someone from doing something or being involved in something:
The new rules will cut out 25% of people who were previously eligible to vote.
8. be cut out for something (also be cut out to be something) [usually in questions and negatives] to have the qualities that you need for a particular job or activity:
In the end, I decided I wasn’t cut out for the army.
Are you sure you’re really cut out to be a teacher?
9. ENGINE if an engine or machine cuts out, it suddenly stops working:
The engine cut out halfway across the lake.
10. LIGHT/VIEW cut something ↔ out to prevent light, sound etc from reaching somewhere:
You’ll need sunglasses that will cut out harmful UV rays from the sun.
11. cut somebody out to prevent someone from getting something, especially your money after your death:
Em’s father decided to cut her out of his will.
⇨ have your work cut out at ↑work²(15), ⇨ cut out the middleman at ↑middleman
cut through something phrasal verb
1. written to move or pass easily through water or air:
The boat cut effortlessly through the water.
2. to quickly and easily deal with something that is confusing or difficult:
You need someone to help you cut through all the irritating legal jargon.
3. literary if a sound cuts through silence or noise, it is heard because it is loud:
A piercing shriek cut through the silence.
cut up phrasal verb
1. CUT INTO PIECES cut something ↔ up to cut something into small pieces:
Could you cut the pizza up, please?
cut something ↔ up into
He cut the paper up into little pieces.
2. DRIVING cut somebody/something ↔ up British English to suddenly drive in front of a moving vehicle in a dangerous way:
Some idiot cut me up on the motorway.
3. BEHAVE BADLY American English informal to behave in a noisy or rude way
4. cut up rough British English informal to react in an angry or violent way:
Careful how you approach him – he can cut up a bit rough if he’s got a mind to.
5. CRITICIZE cut somebody ↔ up informal to criticize someone in an unpleasant way
⇨ ↑cut up

hurt

I. hurt¹ S1 W2 /hɜːt $ hɜːrt/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle hurt)
[Word Family: noun: ↑hurt, ↑hurtfulness; adjective: ↑hurt ≠ ↑unhurt, ↑hurtful; verb: ↑hurt; adverb: ↑hurtfully]
[Date: 1100-1200; Language: Old French; Origin: hurter 'to crash violently into']
1. INJURE SOMEBODY [transitive] to injure yourself or someone else:
Was anyone hurt in the accident?
Put that thing down – you might hurt someone with it.
hurt your arm/leg/nose etc
He hurt his knee playing football.
hurt yourself
Be careful you don’t fall and hurt yourself.
2. FEEL PAIN [intransitive] to feel pain in part of your body ⇨ ache:
My back hurts.
Where does it hurt?
It hurts when I try to move my leg.
hurt like hell informal (=hurt very much)
My shoulder hurts like hell.
3. CAUSE PAIN [transitive] to cause pain in a part of your body:
The sun’s hurting my eyes.
4. INSULT SOMEBODY [intransitive and transitive] to make someone feel very upset, unhappy, sad etc:
I didn’t mean to hurt your feelings.
it hurts (somebody) to do something
What hurts is that he never even said goodbye.
It hurt me to think that you hated me.
5. BAD EFFECT [transitive] to have a bad effect on someone or something, especially by making them less successful or powerful:
Foreign competition has hurt the company’s position in the market.
6. be hurting American English
a) informal to feel very upset or unhappy about something:
Martha’s going through a divorce and really hurting right now.
b) if a group, organization etc is hurting, they do not have something important that they need
be hurting for
The team is hurting for quarterbacks.
7. something won’t/doesn’t hurt spoken said when you think someone should do something or that something is a good idea:
The house looks pretty good, but a fresh paint job wouldn’t hurt either.
it won’t/doesn’t hurt (somebody) to do something
It won’t hurt Julia to get up early for a change.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to injure yourself or someone else
▪ hurt to damage part of your body, or someone else’s body: She slipped on the ice and hurt herself badly. | Be careful you don’t hurt anyone with that knife.
▪ injure to hurt yourself quite severely, or to be hurt in an accident or fighting: One of our players has injured his leg, and will be out of the game for weeks. | Four people have been seriously injured on the Arizona highway.
▪ wound to deliberately hurt someone using a weapon such as a knife or gun: The gunmen shot and killed twelve people and wounded three others.
▪ maim /meɪm/ [usually passive] to hurt someone very severely, especially so that they lose an arm, leg etc, often as the result of an explosion: In countries where there are landmines, people are killed and maimed daily.
▪ break to hurt a part of your body by breaking a bone in it: The X-ray showed that I had broken my wrist.
▪ bruise to hurt a part of your body when you fall on it or hit it, causing a dark mark to appear on your skin: Cathy fell off her bike and bruised her legs badly.
▪ sprain/twist to hurt your knee, wrist, shoulder etc by suddenly twisting it while you are moving: I jumped down from the wall and landed awkwardly, spraining my ankle.
▪ strain/pull to hurt one of your muscles by stretching it or using it too much: When you are lifting heavy loads, be careful not to strain a back muscle.
▪ dislocate to damage a joint in your body in a way that moves the two parts of the joint out of their normal position: Our best batsman dislocated his shoulder during training.
▪ paralyse [usually passive] to make someone lose the ability to move part or all of their body: A climbing accident had left him paralysed from the chest down.
■ when part of your body feels painful
▪ hurt if part of your body hurts, it feels painful: My chest hurts when I cough.
▪ ache to hurt with a continuous pain: I’d been walking all day and my legs were really aching.
▪ throb to feel a bad pain that comes and goes again in a regular and continuous way: Lou had a terrible headache and his whole head seemed to be throbbing.
▪ sting to feel a sharp pain, or to make someone feel this, especially in your eyes, throat, or skin: My throat stings every time I swallow. | This injection may sting a little.
▪ smart to hurt with a sudden sharp pain – used especially about your eyes, or your skin where something has hit you: Her eyes were smarting from the thick smoke. | Jackson’s face was still smarting from the punch.
▪ burn to feel very hot and painful or uncomfortable: Be careful because this chemical will make your skin burn. | His eyes were burning because of the gas.
▪ pinch if something you are wearing pinches you, it is too tight and presses painfully on your skin: The shirt was a bit too small and it was pinching my neck.
▪ something is killing me spoken informal used when something feels very painful: My legs are killing me. | These shoes are killing me.
▪ a bad back/leg/arm etc if you have a bad back/leg/arm etc, it feels painful: He’s off work with a bad back.

burn

I. burn¹ S2 W3 /bɜːn $ bɜːrn/ BrE AmE verb (past tense and past participle burnt /bɜːnt $ bɜːrnt/ or burned)
[Word Family: noun: ↑burn, ↑burner; adjective: ↑burning, ↑burnt; verb: ↑burn; adverb: ↑burning]
[Language: Old English; Origin: byrnan 'to burn' and bærnan 'to cause to burn']
1. PRODUCE FLAMES AND HEAT [intransitive]
a) if a fire burns, it produces heat and flames:
There was a fire burning in the fireplace.
An average household candle will burn for about six hours.
b) if something is burning, it is producing flames and being damaged or destroyed by fire:
Parts of the building are still burning.
2. DESTROY SOMETHING WITH FIRE [transitive] to destroy or damage something with fire:
I burnt all his old letters.
Cars were burned and shops were looted during the rioting.
The Grand Hotel had burnt to the ground.
Make sure the iron isn’t too hot or you’ll burn the cloth.
He dropped his cigarette and burnt a hole in the carpet.
3. INJURE/KILL SOMEBODY WITH FIRE [transitive] to hurt yourself or someone else with fire or something hot:
I burned my hand on the oven door.
She was badly burned in a road accident.
Sixteen passengers were burned to death (=died in a fire).
A family of five were burned alive in their home last night (=died in a fire).
Heretics were burnt at the stake (=burnt in a fire as a punishment).
4. SUN [intransitive and transitive] if the sun burns your skin, or if your skin burns, it becomes red and painful from the heat of the sun ⇨ sunburn:
I burn quite easily.
Don’t forget you can still get burnt when you’re swimming or when it’s cloudy.
Her face and neck were quite badly burned.
5. FOOD [intransitive and transitive] to spoil food by cooking it for too long, or to become spoiled in this way:
I’m afraid I’ve burnt the pizza.
burn something to a crisp/cinder
The meat was burned to a crisp.
6. CHEMICALS [transitive] to damage or destroy something by a chemical action:
Quite a lot of household chemicals can burn your skin.
7. FUEL [intransitive and transitive] if you burn a ↑fuel, or if it burns, it is used to produce power, heat, light etc:
The boiler burns oil to produce heat.
greenhouse gases caused by the burning of fossil fuels
8. FAT/ENERGY [transitive] if you burn fat or CALORIES, you use up energy stored in your body by being physically active:
Taking a brisk walk every morning is a great way to burn calories.
a fat-burning exercise
9. LIGHT [intransitive] if a light or lamp burns, it shines or produces light:
A lamp was burning in the kitchen window.
The hall light was still burning.
10. FEEL HOT AND PAINFUL [intransitive and transitive] if a part of your body burns, or if something burns it, it feels unpleasantly hot:
The whisky burned my throat as it went down.
My eyes were burning from the smoke.
11. FACE/CHEEKS [intransitive] if your face or cheeks are burning, they feel hot because you are embarrassed or upset:
I could feel my cheeks burning as I spoke.
12. CD [transitive] if you burn a ↑CD or ↑DVD, you record music, images, or other information onto it using special computer equipment
13. be burning with rage/desire etc to feel a particular emotion very strongly:
She was burning with curiosity.
14. be burning to do something to want to do or find out something very much:
I was burning to know how he had got on in New York.
15. be/get burned informal
a) to be emotionally hurt by someone or something:
Take things slowly – don’t get burned again.
b) to lose a lot of money:
The company got badly burned in the dot.com collapse.
16. burn your fingers/get your fingers burned informal to suffer the unpleasant results of something that you have done:
I tried a dating agency once, but got my fingers badly burnt – I’ll never do it again.
17. burn a hole in your pocket if money burns a hole in your pocket, you want to spend it as soon as you can
18. burn your bridges/boats informal to do something with the result that you will not be able to return to a previous situation again, even if you want to:
I’m really tempted to take up that job offer in Washington, but I don’t want to burn my boats with this company.
19. burn the candle at both ends informal to get very tired by doing things until very late at night and getting up early in the mornings
20. burn the midnight oil informal to work or study until late at night
21. it burns somebody that/how etc American English used to say that something makes someone feel angry or jealous:
It really burns me the way they treat us.
22. GO FAST [intransitive always + adverb/preposition] informal to travel very fast
burn along/up etc
a sports car burning up the motorway
• • •
COLLOCATIONS (for Meaning 3)
■ adverbs
▪ be badly/severely burned His face had been badly burned in the fire.
▪ be burned alive The animals were burned alive when a farm building caught fire.
■ phrases
▪ be burned to death Anyone inside the truck would have been burned to death.
▪ be burned at the stake (=burned in a fire as a punishment) In those days witches were burned at the stake.
• • •
THESAURUS
■ to be burning
▪ burn to produce heat and flames: The fire was still burning. | A pile of branches was burning in the yard.
▪ be on fire if a building, car, piece of clothing etc is on fire, it is burning and being damaged: Before long, the neighbouring houses were on fire too.
▪ be alight especially written if something is alight, it is burning: By the time the fire engines got there, the whole building was already alight. | The candle was still alight.
▪ be ablaze especially written if something is ablaze, it is burning with a lot of flames, so that it is seriously damaged: Twelve hours after the bombing raid, many parts of the city were still ablaze. | The two hundred tonnes of straw were now ablaze and firefighters struggled to get the fire under control.
▪ blaze to burn very brightly with a lot of flames and heat: A big log fire was blazing in the fireplace.
▪ smoulder British English, smolder American English /ˈsməʊldə $ ˈsmoʊldər/ to burn slowly and continuously, producing smoke but no flames: A cigarette smouldered in the ashtray. | The fire in the chemical factory was so intense that it was still smouldering a week later.
▪ flicker if a fire or flame flickers, it burns with an unsteady light that appears and disappears quickly: A welcoming fire flickered in the grate. | Inside the shrine candles flicker next to statues of saints.
■ to start burning
▪ catch fire to start burning accidentally: We were worried the house would catch fire. | Two farm workers died when a barn caught fire yesterday.
▪ burst into flames to suddenly start burning and produce a lot of flames that cause serious damage: The plane crashed into the side of the mountain and burst into flames.
▪ ignite /ɪɡˈnaɪt/ technical if a chemical or gas ignites, it starts burning: The compound ignites at 450 degrees Celsius. | Scientists could not explain why the gas had suddenly ignited.
■ to burn something
▪ burn to damage or destroy something with fire or heat: She lit a fire and burned his letters one by one.
▪ set fire to something (also set something on fire) to make something start burning so that it gets damaged: Vandals set fire to an empty warehouse. | Teresa wondered if the burning log might set fire to the curtains. | The Vikings attacked villages along the coast and set them on fire. | Sparks from the fireplace could easily set the curtains on fire.
▪ scorch to damage the surface of something by burning it so that a dark mark is left on it: Having the iron on a very high heat can scorch the fabric. | The heater was left on all night and it scorched the wall.
▪ singe /sɪndʒ/ to damage hair, wool, paper etc by burning it slightly so that the ends or edges are burnt: The flames were hot enough to singe your eyebrows.
▪ scald to burn your skin with very hot liquid or steam: The coffee was so hot it nearly scalded his tongue. | It’s easy to knock a pan off the stove and scald yourself. | He was scalded by steam escaping from the broken pipe.
▪ ignite technical to make something start to burn, especially something that burns easily such as a gas or chemical: The gas is ignited by an electrical spark. | It appears he threw away a lit cigarette which ignited the petrol spilt on the ground.
■ to make something stop burning
▪ put out to make something such as a fire, cigarette, or candle stop burning: It took firefighters four hours to put out the blaze. | She threw sand on the fire to put it out. | I put out my cigarette and went back into the house.
▪ extinguish /ɪkˈstɪŋɡwɪʃ/ formal to make something such as a fire, cigarette, or candle stop burning: He managed to extinguish the flames with his coat. | Customers who smoke will be asked to extinguish their cigarettes or leave the premises.
▪ blow out to make a flame or fire stop burning by blowing on it: He blew out the candle and went to sleep. | The wind blew out the fire.
burn away phrasal verb
if something burns away or is burned away, it is destroyed by fire
burn something ↔ away
All her hair had been burnt away.
burn down phrasal verb
1. if a building burns down or is burned down, it is destroyed by fire:
She was worried that the house might burn down while they were away.
burn something ↔ down
The old town hall was burnt down in the 1970s.
2. if a fire burns down, the flames become weaker and it produces less heat
burn something ↔ off phrasal verb
1. to remove something by burning it:
You can use a blowlamp to burn off the old paint.
2. to use energy that is stored in your body by doing physical exercise:
I decided to go for a run to try and burn off a few calories.
burn out phrasal verb
1. if a fire burns out or burns itself out, it stops burning because there is no coal, wood etc left:
He left the fire to burn itself out.
2. be burnt out if a building or vehicle is burnt out, the inside of it is destroyed by fire:
The hotel was completely burnt out. Only the walls remained.
We passed several burnt out cars.
3. burn something ↔ out to remove something by burning it:
The cancer cells are burnt out using a laser beam.
4. to work so hard over a period of time that you become unable to continue working because you are tired, ill, or unable to think of any new ideas:
It’s a high-pressure job and you could burn out young.
be/get burnt out
He was almost burnt out by the time he was 21.
burn yourself out
She’s in danger of burning herself out. ⇨ ↑burnout(1)
5. if an engine or electric wire burns out or is burnt out, it stops working because it has been damaged by getting too hot:
The plugs are wired so that if one burns out, the others will still start the engine.
burn something ↔ out
I think you’ve burnt out one of the gaskets.
6. if a ↑rocket or ↑jet burns out, it stops working because all its ↑fuel has been used ⇨ ↑burnout(2)
burn up phrasal verb
1. if something burns up or is burnt up, it is completely destroyed by fire or heat:
The satellite will burn up as it re-enters the Earth’s atmosphere.
burn something ↔ up
Most of the woodland has now been burnt up.
2. burn something ↔ up informal to use a lot of something in a careless way:
Most household appliances burn up loads of electricity.
He just burns up money!
3. be burning up spoken if someone is burning up, they are very hot, usually because they are ill:
Feel his forehead – he’s burning up.
4. burn somebody up American English informal to make someone very angry:
The way he treats her really burns me up.
5. burn something ↔ up to use energy that is stored in your body, by being physically active:
As we get older, our body becomes less efficient at burning up calories.