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

Prince understood what Americans have in common and included the song as a deep cut on The Time’s funk-rock Pandemonium album. —Armond White, National Review, 29 May 2024

That included the shutdown of Volition in August 2023 and deep cuts at Eidos that took an unannounced Deus Ex title with them. —Kevin Purdy, Ars Technica, 28 Mar. 2024

Looking to the future, deep cuts in emissions from across the industrial system will depend on a cluster of critical technologies. —Kassia Yanosek, Foreign Affairs, 3 Feb. 2022

An ingenious Prince deep cut predicted the South Bronx speech about all-American desire. —Armond White, National Review, 29 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1