cutter

noun

cut·​ter ˈkə-tər 

plural cutters

1

: one that cuts:

a

: one whose work is cutting or involves cutting

wood/glass cutters

b(1)

: an instrument, machine, machine part, or tool that cuts

(2)

: a device for vibrating a cutting stylus in disc recording

also : the stylus or its point

2

a

: a ship's boat for carrying stores or passengers

b

: a single-masted fore-and-aft rigged sailing vessel

c

: a small armed vessel in government service

3

baseball : cut fastball

His previous three home runs had come on a fastball, a cutter and a slider.

—Billy Witz

4

: a light sleigh

5

: a person who cuts himself or herself purposely (see cut entry 1 sense 1f) : a person who engages in cutting

The cast includes Jill, a middle-class runaway in love with the romance of risk; Maura, a "cutter" who engages in self-mutilation to thwart her over-controlling father …

—Cecelia Goodnow

Synonyms

• knife

Examples of cutter in a Sentence

a fabric cutter

Recent Examples on the Web

Brown will regain his role as the team’s backup floor general and will thrive as a cutter, screener, and transition player in his minutes with Jokic and Murray. —Kambui Bomani, Forbes.com, 1 July 2025

Grossman said initially the maker space was by appointment only, but now there are open hours where people can make things with a 3D printer, a laser cutter, sublimation machines to put a design on materials, a sewing machine, embroidery equipment and more. —Steve Sadin, Chicago Tribune, 27 June 2025

As consumers got ready for Christmas, their focus shifted to gifting and holiday hosting, buying gift wrap cutters, mini strings of lights, sensory squeeze toys, and emergency fire blankets. —Eleanor Pringle, Fortune, 21 June 2025

Throw in a sinker, cutter, curveball and mid-90s fastball, and … I’m intrigued. —Ken Rosenthal, New York Times, 19 June 2025

Word History

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing cutter

• box cutter
• cookie cutter
• cord cutter
• leaf-cutter
• milling cutter
• paper cutter
• price-cutter
• revenue cutter

Rhymes for cutter

• butter
• clutter
• flutter
• gutter
• mutter
• nutter
• putter
• rutter
• shutter
• sputter
• stutter
• utter

Kids Definition

cutter

noun

cut·​ter ˈkət-ər 

1

: one that cuts

a diamond cutter

a cookie cutter

2

a

: a ship's boat for carrying supplies or passengers

b

: a small sailing boat with one mast

c

: a small armed boat in government service

3

: a small sleigh