'thin-cut' is a compound formed from the adjective 'thin' and the verb/noun 'cut'. 'thin' originates from Old English, specifically the word 'þynne', where 'þynne' meant 'thin'. 'cut' originates from Old Norse/Middle English influence, specifically the Old Norse/Middle English root 'kuta'/'cutten', where it meant 'to cut'.

'thin-cut' developed from the descriptive phrase 'thin cut' (two separate words) and later became commonly used as a hyphenated compound adjective in modern English to describe food and other thinly sliced items.

Initially it simply reflected the literal combination of 'thin' + 'cut' (a cut that is thin); over time it became a standard descriptive term (especially in food contexts) meaning 'thinly sliced' with little change in the core sense.