A cutout is a shape that has been cut out of paper, cardboard, or another material. You might make a paper cutout of a snowflake by folding paper and snipping away pieces with scissors, then unfolding it to reveal a symmetrical design. Stores often display life-size cardboard cutouts of movie characters or sports stars that look so real you might mistake them for actual people from a distance.

The word also describes a figure or design meant to be cut out. A children's book might include cutouts on the last page: printed shapes with dotted lines showing where to cut. Cookie cutters create cutouts in dough, stamping out stars, hearts, or gingerbread people.

In clothing, a cutout refers to a deliberate opening or gap in the fabric. A dress might have cutouts at the shoulders or sides, showing small sections of skin as part of the design.

Less commonly, cutout can describe an electrical safety device, such as a circuit breaker that “cuts out” power when something goes wrong, or a person used as an intermediary in spy operations to hide the real source of information. But you'll most often encounter cutouts in craft projects and decorations.