cutoff Syllabification: (cut·off)Pronunciation: /ˈkətˌôf/Definition of cutoff adjective 1of or constituting a limit:the cutoff date to register is July 2 2(of a device) producing an interruption or cessation of a power or fuel supply:a cutoff valve 3(of an item of clothing) having been cut short:a cutoff T-shirt 4(of a person) isolated from or no longer having access to someone or something:aid to the cutoff troops in the north noun 1a point or level that is a designated limit of something:1 p.m. is the cutoff for being out of the woods 2an act of stopping or interrupting the supply or provision of something:a cutoff of aid would be a disaster a device for producing an interruption or cessation of a power or fuel supply. a sudden drop in amplification or responsiveness of an electric device at a certain frequency: [as modifier]:a cutoff frequency of 8 Hz the stopping of the supply of steam to the cylinders of a steam engine when the piston has traveled a set percentage of its stroke. 3 (cutoffs) shorts made by cutting off the legs of a pair of jeans or other trousers above or at the knee and leaving the edges unhemmed. 4North American a shortcut. 5 Geology a pattern of a meandering stream in which a channel cuts a new course to bypass a meander bend. cutoff in other Oxford dictionaries Definition of cutoff in the British & World English dictionary