Definition

1. Noun:
   • A shape or piece that has been or is meant to be removed from a larger material: A cutout is a shape or piece that is physically cut or designed to be cut from a sheet of material like paper, cardboard, or wood.
   • A photograph or figure with its background removed: A cutout is an image, often a photograph or illustration, from which the original background has been carefully removed, leaving only the main subject.
   • A safety device that stops an electrical circuit: A cutout is a type of switch or fuse that automatically breaks an electrical circuit to prevent damage from excessive current (an overload).

Examples

• Noun (Shape/Piece):
  • The children made Halloween decorations from cardboard cutouts of ghosts and pumpkins.
  • Follow the dotted line to remove the cutout from the page.
• Noun (Photograph):
  • The magazine ad featured a cutout of the celebrity placed against a tropical beach.
  • Graphic designers often use cutouts to create clean, layered compositions.
• Noun (Electrical Device):
  • The fuse cutout on the power line activated during the storm.
  • An automatic cutout is essential for preventing electrical fires.

Advanced Usage

• "Cardboard cutout": A common phrase referring to a life-size, flat figure made of cardboard, often used for decoration or promotion.
  • Fans took pictures with the cardboard cutout of the movie star.
• "Die-cut": While not a direct synonym, this term describes the process often used to create precise , especially in manufacturing.
  • The intricate cutout design was created using a die-cut machine.

Variants and Related Words

• Cut out (verb phrase): The action from which the noun is derived.
  • She cut out the picture from the magazine.
• Cut-out (adjective): Sometimes used hyphenated as an adjective to describe something shaped or made by cutting.
  • She wore a dress with a cut-out design on the back.

Synonyms

• Shape, silhouette, outline (for the image/photo meaning).
• Fuse, circuit breaker, safety switch (for the electrical device meaning).

Related Phrases

• Stand out like a sore thumb: This idiom can be visually represented by a that doesn't match its background.
  • His formal suit made him stand out like a sore thumb at the beach party, like a cutout placed in the wrong scene.
• In silhouette: Describes a dark shape seen against a lighter background, similar to a .
  • We saw the bird in silhouette against the setting sun.

Noun

1. a part that is cut out or is intended to be cut out
2. a photograph from which the background has been cut away
3. a switch that interrupts an electric circuit in the event of an overload