'fine-cut' originates from Modern English as a compound of 'fine' and 'cut'. 'fine' itself comes from Old French 'fin(e)' (from Latin 'finis'), where 'fin(e)' in later use meant 'refined' or 'delicate', and 'cut' comes from Old English (from verbs meaning 'to carve' or 'to cut').

'fine' passed into Middle English from Old French 'fin(e)', and 'cut' developed from Old English verbs for carving and cutting into the Middle English word 'cutten' and then modern 'cut'. The compound 'fine-cut' arose in Modern English usage by joining the two elements to describe something cut finely.

Initially the elements meant 'refined/delicate' ('fine') and 'to cut' ('cut'); combined as 'fine-cut' the term has kept the core sense of 'cut into small, delicate pieces' and is used descriptively for products prepared that way.