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

Musk and Ramaswamy have called for sweeping changes to federal programs, such as mass layoffs and deep cuts. —David Ingram, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024

Gang of Four will play their classic debut album, 1979’s Entertainment!, in full each night as well as a handful of fan favorites and deep cuts from their catalog. —Nina Corcoran, Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024

Signaling its commitment to Chinese sales, AstraZeneca agreed to deep cuts to prices—Tagrisso’s price was cut by nearly 60%—in order to get onto China’s national insurance reimbursement list when peers like Merck & Co balked. —Sasha Rogelberg, Fortune Asia, 31 Oct. 2024

After months of discussion by county administrative officials and local leaders, the Waukesha County Board was formally set to weigh in on the issue, which if approved would have secured additional revenue for a preliminary budget that already has deep cuts in place. —Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 23 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1993, in the meaning defined at sense 1