WAYS OF CUTTING - VOCABULARY

LEVEL: Advanced

SLICE
Cut into slices.
Slice into a cake.
Slice up a loaf.
Slice the beef thin.
The butcher sliced off a thick steak.

PEEL
1. Take the skin off fruits, vegetables.
peel off: a banana, potatoes.
2.(IV) (of a covering or surface) to come off in strips or small pieces.
These potatoes peel easily.
The wall paper is peeling off.
My skin is peeling / my face peeled.

PRUNE
Cut away parts of trees, bushes, etc. to control growth or shape.
Prune sth. from sth. / Prune off / Prune sth away.
Prune the rose bushes.
These roses need pruning.
Prune away the unwanted growth.
(fig) prune an essay of superfluous matter.
(fig) prune away unnecessary adjectives.

CARVE
1. To cut solid material (e.g. wood, stone) in order to form sth.
Carve a statue out of wood / in oak.
A figure carved from marble.
2. inscribe on a surface.
Carve one's initials on a tree trunk.
carve an inscription on a bench.
3. cut up cooked meat into slices or pieces for the table.
carve a turkey.

CUT OUT
1. Make sth by cutting (its shape) .
Cut out an article from a periodical.
Cut out a path through the jungle.
Cut out a dress.
2.(colloq.) omit: let's cut out the details.
3.(colloq.) quit: I must cut out cigarettes.

WHITTLE
Reduce the size of by cutting away slices.
Whittle sth away.
Whittle away at sth.
He was whittling at a piece of wood.
The boy whittled a sword from a tree branch.
He whittled a branch into a sword.

SAW
Cut with a saw.
To saw wood.
Saw a log in two.
Saw a branch off a tree.
Saw sth up = saw into pieces.

SPLIT
1. Cut in / into two or more.
Along a line of natural division.
To split logs.
2. Split sth open = to break open by bursting.
His coat split open at the seams.
3. Divide.
split the atom.
split the party up into small groups.
let's split (leave a party, etc).
jack and Jill split up.
Let's split the difference.
I have a splitting headache.
she has a split personality.

TRIM
Make sth neat by cutting away unwanted parts.
Trim one's beard.
Trim your hair.
Just a trim, please (hair).

CHOP
Cut into pieces by blows with an axe, etc.
Chop wood.
Chop meat up into cubes.
Chop a branch off a tree.
Chop a tree down.

MOW
Cut grass with a scythe or lawn mower.
Mow the lawn.
Mow hay.