The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cutting \Cut"ting\ (k[u^]t"t[i^]ng), n.
   1. The act or process of making an incision, or of severing,
      felling, shaping, etc.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Something cut, cut off, or cut out, as a twig or scion cut
      off from a stock for the purpose of grafting or of rooting
      as an independent plant; something cut out of a newspaper;
      an excavation cut through a hill or elsewhere to make a
      way for a railroad, canal, etc.; a cut.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cutting \Cut"ting\, a.
   1. Adapted to cut; as, a cutting tool.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. Chilling; penetrating; sharp; as, a cutting wind.
      [1913 Webster]

   3. Severe; sarcastic; biting; as, a cutting reply; a cutting
      remark.
      [1913 Webster]

The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48:

Cut \Cut\ (k[u^]t), v. t. [imp. & p. p. Cut; p. pr. & vb. n.
   Cutting.] [OE. cutten, kitten, ketten; prob. of Celtic
   origin; cf. W. cwtau to shorten, curtail, dock, cwta
   bobtailed, cwt tail, skirt, Gael. cutaich to shorten,
   curtail, dock, cutach short, docked, cut a bobtail, piece,
   Ir. cut a short tail, cutach bobtailed. Cf. Coot.]
   1. To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp
      instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to
      divide.
      [1913 Webster]

            You must cut this flesh from off his breast. --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Before the whistling winds the vessels fly,
            With rapid swiftness cut the liquid way. --Pope.
      [1913 Webster]

   2. To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering;
      to hew; to mow or reap.
      [1913 Webster]

            Thy servants can skill to cut timer.  --2. Chron.
                                                  ii. 8
      [1913 Webster]

   3. To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as,
      to cut the hair; to cut the nails.
      [1913 Webster]

   4. To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.
      [1913 Webster]

   5. To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing,
      etc.; to carve; to hew out.
      [1913 Webster]

            Why should a man. whose blood is warm within,
            Sit like his grandsire cut in alabaster? --Shak.
      [1913 Webster]

            Loopholes cut through thickest shade. --Milton.
      [1913 Webster]

   6. To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce;
      to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.
      [1913 Webster]

            The man was cut to the heart.         --Addison.
      [1913 Webster]

   7. To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right
      angles.
      [1913 Webster]

   8. To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in
      the street; to cut one's acquaintance. [Colloq.]
      [1913 Webster]

   9. To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a
      recitation. etc. [Colloq.]
      [1913 Webster]

            An English tradesman is always solicitous to cut the
            shop whenever he can do so with impunity. --Thomas
                                                  Hamilton.
      [1913 Webster]

   10. (Cricket) To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a
       chopping movement of the bat.
       [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   11. (Billiards, etc.) To drive (an object ball) to either
       side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue
       ball or another object ball.
       [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   12. (Lawn Tennis, etc.) To strike (a ball) with the racket
       inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain
       spin on the ball.
       [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   13. (Croquet) To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with
       another ball.
       [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

   To cut a caper. See under Caper.

   To cut the cards, to divide a pack of cards into portions,
      in order to determine the deal or the trump, or to change
      the cards to be dealt.

   To cut both ways, to have effects both advantageous and
      disadvantageous.

   To cut corners, to deliberately do an incomplete or
      imperfect job in order to save time or money.

   To cut a dash or To cut a figure, to make a display of
      oneself; to give a conspicuous impression. [Colloq.]

   To cut down.
       (a) To sever and cause to fall; to fell; to prostrate.
           "Timber . . . cut down in the mountains of Cilicia."
           --Knolles.
       (b) To put down; to abash; to humble. [Obs] "So great is
           his natural eloquence, that he cuts down the finest
           orator." --Addison
       (c) To lessen; to retrench; to curtail; as, to cut down
           expenses.
       (d) (Naut.) To raze; as, to cut down a frigate into a
           sloop.

   To cut the knot or To cut the Gordian knot, to dispose of
      a difficulty summarily; to solve it by prompt, arbitrary
      action, rather than by skill or patience.

   To cut lots, to determine lots by cuttings cards; to draw
      lots.

   To cut off.
       (a) To sever; to separate.
           [1913 Webster +PJC]

                 I would to God, . . .
                 The king had cut off my brother's. --Shak.
       (b) To put an untimely death; to put an end to; to
           destroy. "Iren[ae]us was likewise cut off by
           martyrdom." --Addison.
       (c) To interrupt; as, to cut off communication; to cut
           off (the flow of) steam from (the boiler to) a steam
           engine.
       (d) To intercept; as,, to cut off an enemy's retreat.
       (e) To end; to finish; as, to cut off further debate.

   To cut out.
       (a) To remove by cutting or carving; as, to cut out a
           piece from a board.
       (b) To shape or form by cutting; as, to cut out a
           garment. " A large forest cut out into walks."
           --Addison.
       (c) To scheme; to contrive; to prepare; as, to cut out
           work for another day. "Every man had cut out a place
           for himself." --Addison.
       (d) To step in and take the place of; to supplant; as, to
           cut out a rival. [Colloq.]
       (e) To debar. "I am cut out from anything but common
           acknowledgments." --Pope.
       (f) To seize and carry off (a vessel) from a harbor, or
           from under the guns of an enemy.
       (g) to separate from the midst of a number; as, to cut
           out a steer from a herd; to cut out a car from a
           train.
       (h) to discontinue; as, to cut out smoking.

   To cut to pieces.
       (a) To cut into pieces; as, to cut cloth to pieces.
       (b) To slaughter; as, to cut an army to pieces.

   To cut a play (Drama), to shorten it by leaving out
      passages, to adapt it for the stage.

   To cut rates (Railroads, etc.), to reduce the charges for
      transportation below the rates established between
      competing lines.

   To cut short, to arrest or check abruptly; to bring to a
      sudden termination. "Achilles cut him short, and thus
      replied." --Dryden.

   To cut stick, to make off clandestinely or precipitately.
      [Slang]

   To cut teeth, to put forth teeth; to have the teeth pierce
      through the gum and appear.

   To have cut one's eyeteeth, to be sharp and knowing.
      [Colloq.]

   To cut one's wisdom teeth, to come to years of discretion.


   To cut under, to undersell; as, to cut under a competitor
      in trade; more commonly referred to as undercut.

   To cut up.
       (a) To cut to pieces; as, to cut up an animal, or bushes.
       (b) To damage or destroy; to injure; to wound; as, to cut
           up a book or its author by severe criticism. "This
           doctrine cuts up all government by the roots."
           --Locke.
       (c) To afflict; to discourage; to demoralize; as, the
           death of his friend cut him up terribly. [Colloq.]
           --Thackeray.
           [1913 Webster +PJC]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2006):

cutting
    adj 1: (of speech) harsh or hurtful in tone or character;
           "cutting remarks"; "edged satire"; "a stinging comment"
           [syn: cutting, edged, stinging]
    2: unpleasantly cold and damp; "bleak winds of the North
       Atlantic" [syn: bleak, cutting, raw]
    3: painful as if caused by a sharp instrument; "a cutting wind";
       "keen winds"; "knifelike cold"; "piercing knifelike pains";
       "piercing cold"; "piercing criticism"; "a stabbing pain";
       "lancinating pain" [syn: cutting, keen, knifelike,
       piercing, stabbing, lancinate, lancinating]
    n 1: the activity of selecting the scenes to be shown and
         putting them together to create a film [syn: film
         editing, cutting]
    2: a part (sometimes a root or leaf or bud) removed from a plant
       to propagate a new plant through rooting or grafting [syn:
       cutting, slip]
    3: the act of cutting something into parts; "his cuts were
       skillful"; "his cutting of the cake made a terrible mess"
       [syn: cut, cutting]
    4: a piece cut off from the main part of something
    5: an excerpt cut from a newspaper or magazine; "he searched
       through piles of letters and clippings" [syn: clipping,
       newspaper clipping, press clipping, cutting, press
       cutting]
    6: removing parts from hard material to create a desired pattern
       or shape [syn: carving, cutting]
    7: the division of a deck of cards before dealing; "he insisted
       that we give him the last cut before every deal"; "the
       cutting of the cards soon became a ritual" [syn: cut,
       cutting]
    8: the act of penetrating or opening open with a sharp edge;
       "his cut in the lining revealed the hidden jewels" [syn:
       cut, cutting]
    9: the act of diluting something; "the cutting of whiskey with
       water"; "the thinning of paint with turpentine" [syn:
       cutting, thinning]
    10: the act of shortening something by chopping off the ends;
        "the barber gave him a good cut" [syn: cut, cutting,
        cutting off]

Moby Thesaurus II by Grady Ward, 1.0:

397 Moby Thesaurus words for "cutting":
   IC analysis, Siberian, abbreviation, abscission, accidence, acerb,
   acerbate, acerbic, acid, acidic, acidulent, acidulous, acrid,
   acrimonious, acute, adulteration, affix, affixation, algid,
   allomorph, amphibian, amputation, ana, analects, angiosperm,
   annual, anthology, apocope, aposiopesis, apportionment, appositive,
   aquatic plant, arctic, asperous, astringent, attribute,
   attributive, attrition, bastardizing, below zero, biennial, bit,
   biting, bitter, bitterly cold, bleak, boreal, bound morpheme,
   brisk, brumal, budgeting, butchering, butt, caustic, chill, chip,
   chopping, chunk, clear-cut, cleavage, clip, clipping, clippings,
   cold, cold as charity, cold as death, cold as ice, cold as marble,
   collectanea, collection, collop, complement, conjugation,
   construction modifier, contamination, contemptuous, contraction,
   corroding, corrosive, corruption, cosmopolite, crasis, crisp, crop,
   crumb, curtailment, cut, cutting the pie, cuttings, debasement,
   deciduous plant, declension, decrease, decrement, deep structure,
   depletion, depreciation, derivation, derogation, detraction,
   dichotomy, dicot, dicotyledon, difference of form, diluent,
   dilution, diminution, dip, direct object, disparagement,
   dissolvent, dividing, division, divvy, doctoring, dollop,
   double-edged, drastic, driving, edged, effective, elision,
   ellipsis, enclitic, end, enucleation, ephemeral, escharotic,
   evergreen, excerpta, excerpts, excessive, excision, exorbitant,
   exotic, extraction, extracts, extravagant, extreme, featheredged,
   fierce, filler, fine, fission, florilegium, flowering plant,
   flowers, forceful, forcible, form-function unit, formative,
   fortifying, fragment, fragments, free form, freezing,
   freezing cold, frigid, function, fungus, furious, gametophyte,
   gathering, gelid, glacial, gleaning, gleanings, gob, gobbet, great,
   gutsy, gymnosperm, harsh, harvest, harvesting, hibernal, hiemal,
   hunk, hydrophyte, hyperborean, ice-cold, ice-encrusted, icelike,
   icy, immediate constituent analysis, immoderate, impairment,
   imperative, impressive, incisive, inclement, indirect object,
   infix, infixation, inflection, ingoing, intemperate, intense,
   invidious, irritating, keen, keen-edged, knifelike, laceration,
   lacing, lessening, levels, lump, malevolent, malicious,
   miscellanea, miscellany, modicum, modifier, moiety, monocot,
   monocotyl, mordacious, mordant, morph, morpheme,
   morphemic analysis, morphemics, morphology, morphophonemics,
   morsel, mutilation, nervous, nipping, nippy, nose-tickling,
   numbing, nutting, object, outrageous, paradigm, parceling, paring,
   particle, partition, partitioning, penetrating, perennial,
   phrase structure, piece, piercing, pinching, piquant, plant,
   poignant, pollution, polycot, polycotyl, polycotyledon, portioning,
   powerful, predicate, prefix, prefixation, probing, proclitic,
   pruning, punchy, pungent, qualifier, radical, ranks, rasher,
   rationing, raw, razor-edged, reaping, reduction, remission,
   rending, repartition, resection, resolutive, resolvent, retraction,
   retrenchment, rigorous, ripping, root, rough, sarcastic, sardonic,
   scathing, scion, scission, scoop, scorching, scornful, scrap,
   section, seed plant, seedling, sensational, set, severance, severe,
   shallow structure, shard, sharing, sharing out, sharp, shaving,
   shiver, shortening, shred, shrinkage, sinewed, sinewy, slashing,
   sleety, slice, slicing, slip, sliver, slot, slot and filler,
   slushy, smithereen, snack, snappy, snatch, sneering, snip, snippet,
   solvent, sour, spermatophyte, spiking, splinter, splitting,
   sporophyte, stabbing, stem, stern, stinging, stitch, stone-cold,
   strata, strident, stringent, strong, structure, stump, subject,
   subzero, suffix, suffixation, supercooled, surface structure,
   surgery, syncope, syneresis, syntactic analysis,
   syntactic structure, syntactics, syntax, tagmeme, tart, tatter,
   tearing, telling, thallophyte, theme, thinning, tough, trenchant,
   triennial, truncation, two-edged, unconscionable,
   underlying structure, vascular plant, vegetable, vehement,
   venomous, vicious, vigorous, violent, virulent, vital, vitriolic,
   watering, weed, winterbound, winterlike, wintery, wintry,
   withering, word arrangement, word order, word-formation,
   wounding



Easton's 1897 Bible Dictionary:

Cutting
   the flesh in various ways was an idolatrous practice, a part of
   idol-worship (Deut. 14:1; 1 Kings 18:28). The Israelites were
   commanded not to imitate this practice (Lev. 19:28; 21:5; Deut.
   14:1). The tearing of the flesh from grief and anguish of spirit
   in mourning for the dead was regarded as a mark of affection
   (Jer. 16:6; 41:5; 48:37).

     Allusions are made in Revelation (13:16; 17:5; 19:20) to the
   practice of printing marks on the body, to indicate allegiance
   to a deity. We find also references to it, through in a
   different direction, by Paul (Gal. 6; 7) and by Ezekiel (9:4).
   (See HAIR.)