Green’s Dictionary of Slang

(a) a pickpocket, a cut-purse.

1589		Nashe Death and Buriall of Martin Mar-Prelate in Works I 152: These like lustie cutters, drawing out and brandishing their blades [...] aduentured to lay holde fast on our purses, and like strong theeves in deed proffered to robbe vs of all our monnie.
1628		J. Clavell Recantation of an ill led Life 32: The Cut-purse is in prime of play, When men at Church doe most deuoutly pray, So are the High-way Cutters.
1638		Rowley Match at Midnight [not in 1633 1st edn] I i: He’s out of cash, and thou know’st, by Cutter’s law we are bound to relieve one another.
1864, 1867, 1870		Hotten Sl. Dict. 114: CUTTER, a [...] cut-purse.

(b) a thug who uses a knife or razor in fights.

1568		R. Grafton Chronicle at Large I (1809) 221: Then for a iewde shift, as his last refuge, gathered together a companye of Roysters and Cutters, and practised robberyes and spoylyng of the kinges subiects.
1592		Arden of Feversham line 537: Endanger not yourselfe, for such a Churle, But hyre some Cutter for to cut him short.
1593		G. Harvey Pierce’s Supererogation 9: Come young Sophisters, you that affect raylinge [...] come olde cutters, you that vse to make dowty frayes in the streetes.
1611		R. Cotgrave Dict. of Fr. and Eng. Tongues n.p.: Cutter, a swashbuckler.
1808		(con. 1768) J. Malcolm Anecdotes of Manners and Customs 301: Their place of rendezvous was the Dolphin in Cock-lane, and their denomination the ‘Cutters;’ and, justly dreading the consequences of their conduct, they were provided with swords and fire-arms.
1860		Hotten Dict. of Modern Sl. etc. (2nd edn) 126: CUTTER, a ruffian.
1899		J. Flynt Tramping with Tramps 377: Both men were trained ‘cutters’.
1927		H. Asbury Gangs of N.Y. 54: Bowe had three brothers, Jack, Jim and Bill, all of whom were notorious shooters, cutters, and thieves.
1934		(con. 1870s) E. Cunningham Triggernometry (1957) 56: His sack coat [...] covered the ‘cutter’s bulge’.
1947		I. Shulman Amboy Dukes 34: The guy [...] looked as if he were slightly nuts and a cutter.
2008		(ref. to 1971) F. Dennis ‘Old Bailey’ Homeless in my Heart 183: Where the lags can make you a cutter [...] Where the screws are as thick as a plank, / And the cries of a man as he begs / While they cut his balls with a shank.

(c) (US Und.) a burglar’s implement, used for cutting through sheet iron.

1859

Matsell Vocabulum 23: cutter. A peculiar instrument that first-class screwsmen (burglars) use for cutting through iron chests, doors, etc.

(d) (US. Und.) a safebreaker.

1860

Cornwall Chron. (Launceston, Tas.) 12 Jan. 3/2: [news from San Francisco] [A] fellow known [...] to be what is termed in professional slang language, as a ‘safe cutter,’ or an adept in opening iron safes.

(e) (US prison) a needle file.

1895		Crowe Aus. Sl. Dict. 22: Cutter, an instrument used by burglars for cutting iron bars.
1927		‘Jargon of the Und.’ in DN V 443: Cutter, A needle file with which a convict may cut his bonds and bars.

(f) a robber who enters properties by cutting window bars.

1937

E. Anderson Thieves Like Us (1999) 48: I was a cutter then.

(g) an oxyacetylene blowpipe.

1941

V. Davis Phenomena in Crime 251: A cutter. Oxy-acetylene blowpipe.

(h) (US) one who derives sexual pleasure from stabbing or cutting a woman.

1977

(con. 1949) J.G. Dunne True Confessions (1979) 228: ‘You asked about a cutter,’ Brenda said [...] Check around, he had said, see if any of the girls know anyone likes to cut.

(i) (US) a knife.

1978		D. Ponicsan Ringmaster 172: Rufus put his hand in his pocket. If it came out with a cutter, Po Chang was going to work him over [HDAS].
2015		67 ‘Dead Up’ 🎵 Them man high but them man soon dead up / Young niggas got the cutters out leave a big man drenched up.

(j) one who mutilates themselves with some form of edged weapon, knife or razorblade.

2013

J. Stahl Bad Sex on Speed 34: She had lots of razors cause she was also a cutter. [...] Doctors gave her Adderall for the cutting [...] Adderall helped her focus on the H she was slicing in her forehead. And right in front of you she starts cutting her thinghs .

(a) (US) a revolver, esp. a Colt which ‘cuts down’ its targets.

1908		‘Top Hand’ in Lingenfelter et al. Songs of the Amer. West (1968) 336: Waives a loaded cutter, makes him sing and shout.
1920–23		in J.M. Hunter Trail Drivers of Texas (1963) I 260: The kind of machine the cow-puncher had was sometimes called a ‘cutter’.
1926		D. Branch Cowboy and His Interpreters 26: The Colt pistol was referred to as a gun, sometimes as a ‘cutter’.
1938		C.M. Martin ‘Powdersmoke Showdown’ in Real Western Nov. 🌐 Me being fast with a cutter.
1949		Monteleone Criminal Sl. (rev. edn).
1957		D.B. Sands ‘Some Colloquialisms of the Handgunner’ in AS XXXII:3 193: The synonyms cutter and ripper.

(b) (US) an attractive or remarkable person; cite 1902 refers to a horse.

1902		F. Kenna ‘Confidential Jockey’ in Bulletin Reciter 1880–1901 182: She’s a cutter for it now.
1911		H. Shearin ‘An Eastern Kentucky Dialect Word-List’ in DN III vii 537: cutter, n. A term of approval, applied to persons; e.g., ‘He’s a cutter,’ meaning ‘a good fellow’.
1957		H. Simmons Corner Boy 53: For some strange reason he don’t move me, but that Jones girl, whoof. Never seen such a terrible cutta in all my life.
1967–8		Baker et al. CUSS 103: Cutter A sexually expert male.

(c) (US black) a pimp.

1928

C. McKay Home to Harlem 201: That’s the life of a pee-wee cutter, says I. Kain’t see it for mine.

(d) (US) a remarkable occurrence or event.

1945		J.H. Street Short Stories 125: That dog didn’t like biscuits and hambones. Ain’t that a cutter of a joke?
1967		W. Crawford Gresham’s War 150: Ain’t that a cutter [HDAS].