Cut vs. Sever — What's the Difference?

Make an opening, incision, or wound in (something) with a sharp-edged tool or object

Divide by cutting or slicing, especially suddenly and forcibly

Remove (something) from something larger by using a sharp implement

To cut off (a part) from a whole

Divide into pieces with a knife or other sharp implement

To divide into parts; break or interrupt

Make or form (something) by using a sharp tool to remove material

To break up (a relationship, for example); dissolve.

Trim or reduce the length of (grass, hair, etc.) by using a sharp implement

(transitive) To cut free.

Reduce the amount or quantity of

(intransitive) To suffer disjunction; to be parted or separated.

Ignore or refuse to recognize (someone)

(intransitive) To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.

(of a line) cross or intersect (another line)

(law) To disconnect; to disunite; to terminate.

Stop filming or recording

To separate, as one from another; to cut off from something; to divide; to part in any way, especially by violence, as by cutting, rending, etc.; as, to sever the head from the body.

Divide a pack of playing cards by lifting a portion from the top, either to reveal a card at random or to place the top portion under the bottom portion

To cut or break open or apart; to divide into parts; to cut through; to disjoin; as, to sever the arm or leg.

Strike or kick (a ball) with an abrupt, typically downward motion

To keep distinct or apart; to except; to exempt.

Mix (an illegal drug) with another substance

To disunite; to disconnect; to terminate; as, to sever an estate in joint tenancy.

Come up to expectations; meet requirements

To suffer disjunction; to be parted, or rent asunder; to be separated; to part; to separate.

A stroke or blow given by a sharp-edged implement or by a whip or cane

To make a separation or distinction; to distinguish.

A long, narrow incision in the skin made by something sharp

Set or keep apart;

A wounding remark or act

Cut off from a whole;

The way or style in which something, especially a garment or someone's hair, is cut

To penetrate with a sharp edge; strike a narrow opening in.

To separate into parts with or as if with a sharp-edged instrument; sever

To sever the edges or ends of; shorten

To mow, reap, or harvest

To fell by sawing; hew.

To have (a new tooth) grow through the gums.

To form or shape by severing or incising

To form or shape by grinding

To form by penetrating, probing, or digging

To exhibit the appearance or give the impression of

To separate from a main body; detach

To separate from a group

To discharge from a group or number

To pass through or across; cross

(Games) To divide (a deck of cards) into two parts, as in completing a shuffle or in exposing a card at random.

To reduce the size, extent, or duration of; curtail or shorten

To remove or delete

(Computers) To remove (a segment) from a document or graphics file for storage in a buffer.

To lessen the strength of; dilute

To dissolve by breaking down the fat of

To injure the feelings of; hurt keenly.

To refuse to speak to or recognize; snub

To fail to attend purposely

(Informal) To cease; stop

To strike (a ball) so that it spins in a reverse direction.

To throw or hit (a ball) on a curving trajectory.

To perform

To make out and issue

To arrange or reach (an agreement).

(Slang) To be able to manage; handle successfully

To stop filming (a movie scene).

To record a performance on (a phonograph record or other medium).

To make a recording of (a song, for example).

To edit (a movie or audio recording).

Vulgar Slang To expel (a discharge of intestinal gas).

To injure (oneself) by penetrating the skin with a sharp object.

To make an incision or a separation

To allow incision or severing

To function as a sharp-edged instrument.

To remove part of something, such as a text or film.

(Computers) To remove a part of a document or graphics file and store it in a buffer.

To grow through the gums. Used of teeth.

To injure someone's feelings

To change direction abruptly

To go directly and often hastily

(Games) To divide a pack of cards into two parts, especially in order to make a chance decision or selection.

To make an abrupt transition to another segment of film, video, or audio

To be very astute and penetrating

To inflict self-injury by penetrating the skin with a sharp object.

The act of cutting.

The result of cutting, especially an opening or wound made by a sharp edge.

A part that has been cut from a main body

A passage made by digging or probing.

The elimination or removal of a part

A reduction

(Sports) The remainder of contestants in a competition, especially in golf, after some have been eliminated

The style in which a garment is cut

A haircut.

(Informal) A portion of profits or earnings; a share.

A wounding remark; an insult.

An unexcused absence, as from school or a class.

A step in a scale of value or quality; degree

An engraved block or plate.

A print made from such a block.

A stroke that causes a ball to spin in a reverse direction.

A curve in the trajectory of a ball or puck.

(Baseball) A swing of a bat.

(Games) The act of dividing a deck of cards into two parts, as before dealing.

One of the objects used in drawing lots.

A transition between segments of film, video, or audio.

A movie at a given stage in its editing

A single selection of music from a recording, especially a phonograph recording.

Having the ends or edges cut

Having been cut or clipped off

(Printing) Having the page edge slit or trimmed. Used of a book.

Ground to a specific shape

(Slang) Circumcised. Used of a man or boy.

(transitive) To incise, to cut into the surface of something.

To perform an incision on, for example with a knife.

To divide with a knife, scissors, or another sharp instrument.

To form or shape by cutting.

(slang) To wound with a knife.

(intransitive) To engage in self-harm by making cuts in one's own skin.

To deliver a stroke with a whip or like instrument to.

To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce.

To castrate or geld.

To interfere, as a horse; to strike one foot against the opposite foot or ankle in using the legs.

(intransitive) To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument.

To separate, remove, reject or reduce.

To separate or omit, in a situation where one was previously associated.

To abridge or shorten a work; to remove a portion of a recording during editing.

To reduce, especially intentionally.

To absent oneself from (a class, an appointment, etc.).

To ignore as a social rebuff or snub.

To make an abrupt transition from one scene or image to another.

To edit a film by selecting takes from original footage.

To remove (text, a picture, etc.) and place in memory in order to paste at a later time.

(intransitive) To enter a queue in the wrong place.

(intransitive) To intersect or cross in such a way as to divide in half or nearly so.

To make the ball spin sideways by running one's fingers down the side of the ball while bowling it. en

To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat.

(intransitive) To change direction suddenly.

To divide a pack of playing cards into two.

To make or negotiate.

To dilute or adulterate something, especially a recreational drug.

(transitive) To exhibit (a quality).

(transitive) To stop, disengage, or cease.

(sports) To drive (a ball) to one side, as by (in billiards or croquet) hitting it fine with another ball, or (in tennis) striking it with the racket inclined.

(bodybuilding) To lose body mass, aiming to keep muscle but lose body fat.

To perform (a dancing movement etc.).

(participial adjective) Having been cut.

Reduced.

(of a gem) Carved into a shape; not raw.

Played with a horizontal bat to hit the ball backward of point.

(bodybuilding) Having muscular definition in which individual groups of muscle fibers stand out among larger muscles.

(informal) Circumcised or having been the subject of female genital mutilation.

Emotionally hurt.

Intoxicated as a result of drugs or alcohol.

The act of cutting.

The result of cutting.

An opening resulting from cutting; an incision or wound.

A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove.

An artificial navigation channel as distinguished from a navigable river.

A share or portion of profits.

A decrease.

(cricket) A batsman's shot played with a swinging motion of the bat, to hit the ball backward of point.

(cricket) Sideways movement of the ball through the air caused by a fast bowler imparting spin to the ball.

(sports) In lawn tennis, etc., a slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin thus given to the ball.

(golf) In a strokeplay competition, the early elimination of those players who have not then attained a preannounced score, so that the rest of the competition is less pressed for time and more entertaining for spectators.

A passage omitted or to be omitted from a play, movie script, speech, etc.

(cinema) A particular version or edit of a film.

(card games) The act or right of dividing a deck of playing cards.

(card games) The card obtained by dividing the pack.

The manner or style a garment etc. is fashioned in.

A slab, especially of meat.

(fencing) An attack made with a chopping motion of the blade, landing with its edge or point.

A deliberate snub, typically a refusal to return a bow or other acknowledgement of acquaintance.

An unkind act; a cruelty.

A definable part, such as an individual song, of a recording, particularly of commercial records, audio tapes, CDs, etc.

(archaeology) A truncation, a context that represents a moment in time when other archaeological deposits were removed for the creation of some feature such as a ditch or pit.

A haircut.

(graph theory) The partition of a graph’s vertices into two subgroups.

(rail) A string of railway cars coupled together, shorter than a train.

An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving.

(obsolete) A common workhorse; a gelding.

The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise.

A skein of yarn.

That which is used to dilute or adulterate a recreational drug.

(fashion) A notch shaved into an eyebrow.

(bodybuilding) A time period when one tries to lose fat while retaining muscle mass.

(slang) A hidden, secluded, or secure place.

The range of temperatures used to distill a particular mixture of hydrocarbons from crude oil.

An instruction to cease recording.

To separate the parts of with, or as with, a sharp instrument; to make an incision in; to gash; to sever; to divide.

To sever and cause to fall for the purpose of gathering; to hew; to mow or reap.

To sever and remove by cutting; to cut off; to dock; as, to cut the hair; to cut the nails.

To castrate or geld; as, to cut a horse.

To form or shape by cutting; to make by incision, hewing, etc.; to carve; to hew out.

To wound or hurt deeply the sensibilities of; to pierce; to lacerate; as, sarcasm cuts to the quick.

To intersect; to cross; as, one line cuts another at right angles.

To refuse to recognize; to ignore; as, to cut a person in the street; to cut one's acquaintance.

To absent one's self from; as, to cut an appointment, a recitation. etc.

To deflect (a bowled ball) to the off, with a chopping movement of the bat.

To drive (an object ball) to either side by hitting it fine on the other side with the cue ball or another object ball.

To strike (a ball) with the racket inclined or struck across the ball so as to put a certain spin on the ball.

To drive (a ball) to one side by hitting with another ball.

To do the work of an edged tool; to serve in dividing or gashing; as, a knife cuts well.

To admit of incision or severance; to yield to a cutting instrument.

To perform the operation of dividing, severing, incising, intersecting, etc.; to use a cutting instrument.

To make a stroke with a whip.

To interfere, as a horse.

To move or make off quickly.

To divide a pack of cards into two portion to decide the deal or trump, or to change the order of the cards to be dealt.

An opening made with an edged instrument; a cleft; a gash; a slash; a wound made by cutting; as, a sword cut.

A stroke or blow or cutting motion with an edged instrument; a stroke or blow with a whip.

That which wounds the feelings, as a harsh remark or criticism, or a sarcasm; personal discourtesy, as neglecting to recognize an acquaintance when meeting him; a slight.

A notch, passage, or channel made by cutting or digging; a furrow; a groove; as, a cut for a railroad.

The surface left by a cut; as, a smooth or clear cut.

A portion severed or cut off; a division; as, a cut of beef; a cut of timber.

An engraved block or plate; the impression from such an engraving; as, a book illustrated with fine cuts.

The act of dividing a pack cards.

Manner in which a thing is cut or formed; shape; style; fashion; as, the cut of a garment.

A common work horse; a gelding.

The failure of a college officer or student to be present at any appointed exercise.

A skein of yarn.

A slanting stroke causing the ball to spin and bound irregularly; also, the spin so given to the ball.

A stroke on the off side between point and the wicket; also, one who plays this stroke.

Gashed or divided, as by a cutting instrument.

Formed or shaped as by cutting; carved.

Overcome by liquor; tipsy.

The act of reducing the amount or number;

A wound made by cutting;

A piece of meat that has been cut from an animal carcass

A distinct selection of music from a recording or a compact disc;

The act of penetrating or opening open with a sharp edge;

A share of the profits;

A step on some scale;

A trench resembling a furrow that was made by erosion or excavation

(film) an immediate transition from one shot to the next;

The act of cutting something into parts;

The omission that is made when an editorial change shortens a written passage;

The style in which a garment is cut;

The act of shortening something by cutting off the ends;

In baseball; a batter's attempt to hit a pitched ball;

A remark capable of wounding mentally;

A canal made by erosion or excavation

A refusal to recognize someone you know;

(sports) a stroke that puts reverse spin on the ball;

The division of a deck of cards before dealing;

An unexcused absence from class;

Separate with or as if with an instrument;

Cut down on; make a reduction in;

Turn sharply; change direction abruptly;

Make an incision or separation;

Discharge from a group;

Form by probing, penetrating, or digging;

Style and tailor in a certain fashion;

Hit (a ball) with a spin so that it turns in the opposite direction;

Make out and issue;

Cut and assemble the components of;

Intentionally fail to attend;

Informal: be able to manage or manage successfully;

Give the appearance or impression of;

Move (one's fist);

Pass directly and often in haste;

Pass through or across;

Make an abrupt change of image or sound;

Stop filming;

Make a recording of;

Record a performance on (a medium);

Create by duplicating data;

Form or shape by cutting or incising;

Perform or carry out;

Function as a cutting instrument;

Allow incision or separation;

Divide a deck of cards at random into two parts to make selection difficult;

Cause to stop operating by disengaging a switch;

Reap or harvest;

Fell by sawing; hew;

Penetrate injuriously;

Refuse to acknowledge;

Shorten as if by severing the edges or ends of;

Weed out unwanted or unnecessary things;

Dissolve by breaking down the fat of;

Have a reducing effect;

Cease, stop;

Reduce in scope while retaining essential elements;

Lessen the strength or flavor of a solution or mixture;

Have grow through the gums;

Grow through the gums;

Cut off the testicles (of male animals such as horses);

Separated into parts or laid open or penetrated with a sharp edge or instrument;

Fashioned or shaped by cutting;

With parts removed;

Made neat and tidy by trimming;

(used of grass or vegetation) cut down with a hand implement or machine;

(of pages of a book) having the folds of the leaves trimmed or slit;

(of a male animal) having the testicles removed;

Having a long rip or tear;

Wounded by cutting deeply;

Cut down;

(used of rates or prices) reduced usually sharply;

Mixed with water;