cut-off
/ˈkʌtɒf
/noun
1A point or level which is a designated limit of something: 2,500 g is the standard cut-off below which infants are categorized as ‘low birthweight’ [as modifier]: the cut-off date to register is July 2...
- In cases where adult and immature birds exhibited differences in timing, either only one age class was subjected to a date cut-off or separate date cut-offs were chosen for each age class.
- Don't take the 12-ounce limit as an absolute cut-off, especially if you're relying on calcium-fortified orange juice as a substitute for milk.
- Because this EIA was manufactured as a qualitative test, a calibrator and additional control specimens were needed to determine the threshold cut-off and to monitor the assay performance.
2An act of stopping or interrupting the supply of something: a cut-off of aid would be a disaster...
- In the first five years after the cut-off of Russian aid, the economy contracted by a third.
- Should the US, Canada and the European Union make good on their threat of an aids cut-off, Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, will be devastated.
- The organisation fights for getting the senior citizens free basic services like water, cancellation of their debts and to stop evictions and water cut-offs.
2.1A device for producing an interruption in flow of a power or fuel supply: the motor has a thermal overload cut-off for safety...
- Sometimes the vehicle redlines and fuel cut-offs aren't true to life.
- The kettle boasts 360 degree rotation, a water level gauge, a removable/washable filter, a neon power indicator and an auto cut-off.
- While common in semi-autos, the cut-off is a real innovation in a pump gun and a welcome improvement.
2.2A sudden drop in amplification or responsiveness of an electric device at a certain frequency: [as modifier]: a cut-off frequency of 8 Hz...
- Dynamic behavior such as vibration modes or cut-off frequency of the device under test can be analyzed by the evolution of contrast as the operating frequency increases.
- The system behaves as a wave guide excited far beyond its cut-off frequency mode and therefore only the stray field of the coaxial line-wave guide transition is used in the measurement.
- Aldroubi and Gröchenig have developed a new sampling theory that can handle situations where having such a cut-off frequency is undesirable.
2.3 [mass noun] The stopping of the supply of steam to the cylinders of a steam engine when the piston has travelled a set percentage of its stroke: at the moment of starting, cut-off is about 75 per cent...
- Consequently, they were worked with a full throttle and the shortest cut-off at which boiler steam pressure and water supply could be maintained.
3 (cut-offs) Shorts made by cutting off the legs of a pair of jeans or other trousers and leaving the edges unhemmed: she was wearing frayed cut-offs...
- Within a moment, Chris opened the door, wearing a pair of faded jean cut-offs and a green tee shirt.
- She put on a black tank top and a pair of black jean cut-offs.
- The smiling woman was dressed casually in a pair of denim cut-offs and a simple baby blue tank top, her chestnut hair tied up in a pony tail.
4North American A short cut.At Obico a cut-off was built to Canpa in 1910 as a short cut to reach the Joint Section which would allow freight trains to and from Hamilton a direct route to Lambton Yard.