clear-cut

/'kliə'kʌt/

Friendly

Word: Clear-cut

Part of Speech: Adjective (and also a verb)

Definition:

1. As an Adjective: "Clear-cut" describes something that is very clear, distinct, or easy to see or understand. It can refer to physical things that are easily recognizable or to ideas that are straightforward and unambiguous.
2. As a Verb: It means to remove all the trees from a specific area at one time, usually referring to logging practices.

Usage Instructions:

• Use "clear-cut" as an adjective when you want to describe something that is obvious or well-defined.
• Use it as a verb when discussing forestry or logging.

Examples:

• Adjective: "The instructions were clear-cut, so everyone understood what to do."
• Verb: "They decided to clear-cut the section of forest to make space for a new building."

Advanced Usage:

In more formal or academic contexts, "clear-cut" can also be used to describe arguments or distinctions that are very well-defined. For example, "There is a clear-cut difference between legal and illegal activities."

Word Variants:

• Noun: Clear-cutting (referring to the process of removing all trees in an area)
• Adjective: Clearer-cut (comparative form, though less commonly used)

Different Meaning:

In some contexts, "clear-cut" can also imply something that is simple and straightforward, leaving no room for confusion.

Synonyms:

• For the adjective form: distinct, obvious, unmistakable, evident, sharp, well-defined.
• For the verb form: log, deforest, fell.

Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

While "clear-cut" itself does not have common idioms or phrasal verbs, you might encounter phrases like "cut and dried," which means something is decided and unchangeable, similar to the clarity implied by "clear-cut."

Summary:

"Clear-cut" is a versatile word that can help describe how clear something is in both physical and abstract terms.

Academic

Adjective

1. clear and distinct to the senses; easily perceptible
   • as clear as a whistle
   • clear footprints in the snow
   • the letter brought back a clear image of his grandfather
   • a spire clean-cut against the sky
   • a clear-cut pattern
2. having had all the trees removed at one time
   • clear-cut hillsides are subject to erosion
3. clearly or sharply defined to the mind
   • clear-cut evidence of tampering
   • Claudius was the first to invade Britain with distinct...intentions of conquest
   • trenchant distinctions between right and wrong

Verb

1. remove all the trees at one time
   • clear-cut an acre of forest

Synonyms

• clear
• clean-cut
• distinct
• trenchant