deep cut

noun

plural deep cuts

1

music : a song that is considerably less popular and well-known than other songs on the same album or by the same artist

From there, the band careened through highlights and the occasional deep cut from its catalog …

—Mikael Wood

But the rocker saw an opportunity to turn casual fans on to his deep cuts—so each disc intersperses hits with lesser-known album tracks in non-chronological order.

—David Browne

2

: something (such as an obscure reference to a book or movie) that is recognizable to devotees but not usually to others

One of the fun things about being a Marvel fan is the franchise's ability to constantly surprise its audience with comic book deep cuts, surprising castings, and twists that no one sees coming.

—Alexis Nedd

deep-cut adjective

a deep-cut reference/joke

Examples of deep cut in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Look for more institutions being forced this year to make deep cuts to their budgets, including both faculty and staff layoffs. —Michael T. Nietzel, Forbes, 1 Jan. 2025

Slaton reportedly had a deep cut on her arm and used a shirt as a tourniquet until the EMTs took over. —Benedict Cosgrove, Newsweek, 20 Dec. 2024

For some folks, deep cuts happen when our fingertips are sliced by wrapping paper. —Staff, The Christian Science Monitor, 20 Dec. 2024

Remove the breasts: Begin on one side of the breastbone, make a deep cut that follows the bone down the bird. —Katie Rosenhouse, Southern Living, 25 Nov. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1