square-cut

Meanings

1. 1adjectivebefore a noun

   Cut so that the shape has straight sides and right-angled corners, as with a gem, a piece of wood or a neckline.

   Grammar: Used before a noun: a square-cut emerald.

   Patterns

   • a square-cut stone
   • a square-cut neckline

   She wore a ring with a large square-cut emerald.

   The dress had a square-cut neckline that looked neat and simple.

   He used square-cut timber to build the frame.

2. 2nouncountable

   A gemstone shape or garment edge made with straight sides and sharp corners, or an item cut in that style.

   Grammar: Often a hyphenated or written compound: the diamond is a square cut.

   Patterns

   • a square cut

   The jeweler recommended a square cut for the sapphire.

   The baker used a square cut for each piece of the cake.

   A square cut suits wide faces, the stylist said.

Common combinations

square-cut diamond

The ring held a square-cut diamond in a gold setting.

square-cut neckline

A square-cut neckline suits a plain dress.

square-cut stone

The square-cut stone was set in silver.

square-cut nails

She prefers square-cut nails for short, strong fingertips.

square-cut beard

His square-cut beard gave his face a firm outline.

Synonyms and how they differ

rectangular

This describes a shape with unequal sides, while square-cut specifically refers to how something is trimmed.

emerald-cut

This is a jewelry term for a stone with a rectangular cut and clipped corners, not full square corners.

blocky

This is informal and suggests a heavy, thick shape rather than a deliberate neat cut.

Opposites

Word family

square adjective

having four equal sides and right angles

cut noun

the way something has been shaped

squarely adverb

directly or in a straight way

squareness noun

the quality of being square

Commonly confused: square-cut or princess cut?

Practice

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Write a sentence using “square-cut”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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