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

The announcement also comes a day after Timothée Chalamet, who plays him in the biopic, performed a few of his deep cuts on Saturday Night Live. —Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 27 Jan. 2025

Timmy Tim went with some Bobby Bob deep cuts on Saturday Night Live last night. —Bethy Squires, Vulture, 26 Jan. 2025

This included two deep cuts on his back — with one reportedly close to his spine. —Gabrielle Rockson, People.com, 16 Jan. 2025

Throughout the previous budget cycles under his tenure, Adams’ office has consistently projected lower tax revenues than the Council and made deep cuts to city agencies amid heavy spending on the migrant crisis. —Chris Sommerfeldt, New York Daily News, 16 Jan. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1