Meaning & use
slitting
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“slitting” is a form of “slit”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meanings
verbtransitive
Making a long narrow cut in something, or cutting it into thin strips.
Grammar: This is the -ing form of slit and needs an object: he is slitting the paper.
Patterns
- slitting something open
- slitting something into strips
- be slitting something
She is slitting the envelope open with a letter knife.
The machine is slitting the wide roll of paper into narrower reels.
He was slitting the fabric along the chalk line when the scissors slipped.
noununcountabletechnical
The act or process of cutting something into long narrow pieces or strips.
Grammar: Used as a noun, it usually names an industrial or craft process and takes no article: slitting is done on a special machine.
Patterns
- the slitting of something
- slitting and winding
- do the slitting
Slitting is the first stage before the metal coils are rolled flat.
The factory handles the slitting of large master rolls into customer-sized widths.
Modern laser slitting gives a cleaner edge than blade cutting.
Common combinations
- slitting machine
- A slitting machine turns one wide roll into several narrow ones.
- slitting line
- The new slitting line can process steel coils at high speed.
- slitting throat
- In older usage, slitting someone's throat meant cutting across the neck.
- laser slitting
- Laser slitting produces very fine cuts in thin sheet metal.
- slitting and rewinding
- Slitting and rewinding are often done in a single continuous process.
Synonyms and how they differ
- cutting
- The general word for making an opening or dividing something; slitting is narrower and means a long straight cut rather than any cut.
- slicing
- Better when you cut something into flat pieces or portions, as with bread or meat, while slitting suggests a narrow line or strip.
- ripping
- Suggests a rougher, forced tear along a line; slitting is usually deliberate and neat.
Word family
Commonly confused: slitting or splitting? slitting or sliding?
slitting vs splitting
Splitting means dividing something into parts or breaking it apart, often with force, while slitting means making a long narrow cut.
slitting vs sliding
These sound similar but sliding means moving smoothly along a surface and has nothing to do with cutting.
Practice
Which sentence uses slitting correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Is slitting' is the present continuous of the verb slit, which fits an action happening now. Option B wrongly uses 'has' with the -ing form, option C has no auxiliary verb for the past, and option D uses the past participle 'slit' after 'was' instead of the -ing form.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “slitting”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.