きれ

切れ
cloth
piece
cut
chop
strip
slice
scrap
counter for such

* * *

―きれ【―切れ】

¶ベーコン1～

a piece ［slice， strip］ of bacon

¶パン1～

a piece of bread

¶肉1～

a piece of meat

¶彼女は私にケーキを1～切ってくれた

She cut me a slice of cake. ＝She cut a slice of cake for me. 《◆^×the cut cake は不可. the sliced cake という》

¶レモン［メロン］1～

a slice of lemon ［melon］

¶豚肉1～

a slice of pork.

* * *

I

きれ【切れ】

1 〔布〕 cloth; material.

●木綿の切れ cotton cloth.

2 〔小片〕 a piece; a bit; a fragment; a slip; a strip; (薄片) a slice; (切れっぱし) a scrap; (切片) a cut; (牛豚肉の) a chop.

●肉 1切れ a piece [slice] of meat

・ケーキ 1切れ a piece [slice] of cake.

3 〔刃物の切れ味〕 sharpness; keenness; an edge.

●包丁の切れが鈍る a (kitchen) knife loses its edge [sharpness]; a knife gets dull.

4 〔頭脳や技術の鋭さ〕 sharpness 《of intellect》; keenness 《of mind》; acuteness 《of insight》; technical skill [proficiency] 《in sports》.

●頭の切れがいい be sharp(-witted)

・技の切れがいい[ない] be well [poorly] executed

・ボールに切れがない. The ball doesn't have any spin on it.

・今日は投手の体に切れがない. The pitcher's movements lack snap today.

・体の切れがよくなった. She's showing a little more pep (in her movements) now.

●切れのいい技 a well-executed technique 《in judo》; a cleanly [smartly] executed move 《in wrestling》

・切れのいいカーブ a fast-breaking curve (ball).

II

-きれ【-切れ】

〔完遂〕 being (completely) done [gone, accomplished]; 〔限界〕 being expired; being overdue [past due]; being no longer valid.

●売り切れ ⇒うりきれ

・時間ぎれ ⇒じかんぎれ

・賞味期限ぎれ ⇒しょうみきげん

・任期ぎれ having completed one's term 《in Congress》

・フィルムぎれ being out of film.