deep cut

noun

plural deep cuts

1

music : a song that is considerably less popular and well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist

From there, the band careened through highlights and the occasional deep cut from its catalog …

—Mikael Wood

But the rocker saw an opportunity to turn casual fans on to his deep cuts—so each disc intersperses hits with lesser-known album tracks in non-chronological order.

—David Browne

2

: something (such as an obscure reference to a book or movie) that is recognizable to devotees but not usually to others

One of the fun things about being a Marvel fan is the franchise's ability to constantly surprise its audience with comic book deep cuts, surprising castings, and twists that no one sees coming.

—Alexis Nedd

deep-cut adjective

a deep-cut reference/joke

Examples of deep cut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Great Imposter promises to be filled with more revealing deep cuts. —Maya Georgi, Rolling Stone, 10 Oct. 2024

Without government investment in innovation, the United States would struggle to make deep cuts in climate pollution or to compete with China and other nations that are racing to dominate emerging technologies, says Tanya Das, who works on energy innovation at the Bipartisan Policy Center. —Michael Copley, NPR, 22 Sep. 2024

Many are just basic models, but more than half are designed to copy classic characters from PlayStation’s history, and there’s some deep cuts. —Christopher Cruz, Rolling Stone, 5 Sep. 2024

For the skin, don’t apply it on acne-prone skin or to deep cuts or fresh burns. —Kaitlyn Yarborough, Southern Living, 1 Sep. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1