cut down
See also: cutdown
English
Pronunciation
Audio (AU): (file)
Verb
cut down (third-person singular simple present cuts down, present participle cutting down, simple past and past participle cut down)
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: see cut, down.
- (transitive) To bring down by cutting.
- They want to cut down several trees to make room for the parking lot.
- (idiomatic, transitive) To insult, to belittle.
- (idiomatic) To reduce the amount of something.
- He wants to cut down on extra steps.
- Please don't put the candy jar right next to my desk. I'm trying to cut down on sugar.
- (idiomatic, dated) To slay, often in great numbers.
Usage notes
- In all senses, the object may appear before or after the particle. If it is a pronoun, it MUST precede the particle.
Translations
bring down a tree
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insult, belittle
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reduce the amount of something
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