take a cut; rake off; commission
Meanings
2 senses · 5 examplesverb
to take a percentage of gambling winnings as a fee for the house or dealer
Specific to gambling contexts. In colloquial speech, the term can take an 'er' suffix as 抽头儿.
The casino takes a five percent cut from every winning hand.
In the past, gambling establishments relied on taking a cut of winnings to pay for venue costs and servants' wages.
verb
to take a cut or commission as an intermediary in a transaction; to skim off the top
neutralOften implies unethical behavior where multiple middlemen take cuts at each stage, raising prices for end consumers.
These products changed hands several times during sales, with every link in the chain taking a cut, harming consumers' interests.
Middlemen taking cuts at every level cause the final price of agricultural products to be far higher than the purchase price.
Show 1 more exampleShow fewer examples
This trading company doesn't sell directly; it just takes a cut by passing goods along.