cute

Shortened from acute, originally “keenly perceptive or discerning, shrewd” (1731). Meaning transferred to “pretty, fetching” by US students (slang) c.1834. Meaning drifted further to describe the pleasing attraction to features usually possessed by the young.

• IPA^(key): /kjuːt/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -uːt

cute (comparative cuter, superlative cutest)

1. Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior.

   Our reaction to cute attributes is understood as the way nature ensures mammals care for their young.

2. Generally, attractive or pleasing, especially in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way.

   Let's go to the mall and look for cute girls.

3. Affected or contrived to charm; mincingly clever; precious; cutesy.

   The actor's performance was too cute for me. All that mugging to the audience killed the humor.

   Don't get cute with me, boy!

4. Mentally keen or discerning (See also acute)

   Synonyms: clever, shrewd

   • ca. 1850. Anonymous, "Turpin Hero" (broadside ballad, probably originally dating to 18th century)

     Then Turpin being so very cute,

     He hid his money in his boot.

   Cute trick, but can you do it consistently?

Though all the above usages are understood outside US & Canada, they are rarely used spontaneously except to characterise or parody American usage.

• (having features mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals): endearing
• (attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way): pretty

Borrowed from English cute.

cute

1. (youthful) cute, adorable
   • 2010, Kirsten Sonne Harild, Pony & Co. 4 - Lises forvandling, Gyldendal A/S (→ISBN)

     „De er sådan lidt tegneserieagtige, ikke? Ligesom shetlændere. Cute.

   • 2010, Jesper Staunstrup, At være fremmed..., BoD – Books on Demand (→ISBN), page 187

     Dyret er altså bare ikke cute... Det er en stor rottelignende dræber, der er altædende.

2. (youthful) sweet, attractive (of a person, especially a prospective partner)
   • 2012, Hanne-Vibeke Holst, Hjertets renhed, Gyldendal A/S (→ISBN)

     Han er cute. Frederik var rimelig cute.

   • 2014, Ina Bruhn, Maja og Dancer: Hestene på Ponygården 3, Rosinante & Co (→ISBN)

     Han hedder Elvin. Er det ikke et totalt cute navn?

   • 2014, Dennis Jürgensen, Hår(d), Tellerup A/S (→ISBN)

     Hun var cute, det var hun faktisk, og jeg prøvede desperat ikke at tænke på min isse.

   • 2013, Anders Haahr Rasmussen, Modellen: #dayinthelife, Art People (→ISBN)

     Josephine Skriver har tidligere haft problemer med sit runde, cute ansigt og har det for så vidt stadigvæk.

• (adorable): nuttet, kær

Borrowed from Latin cutis.

cute f (plural cuti)

1. (anatomy) Cutis, skin (of a person)

• pelle

• cutaneo

cute

1. ablative singular of cutis

cute

1. Alternative form of cote (“coot”)

From Latin cōtem, accusative of cōs. The expected result would have been *coate in Romanian, but may have been influenced by cuțit and ascuți.[1]

• Rhymes: -ute

cute f (plural cute)

1. whetstone

• gresie