Daisy-cutter

Origin of: Daisy-cutter

Daisy-cutter

In the late 18th century, a daisy-cutter was a horse that trotted with steps close to the turf in the sense that its hooves were cutting daisies. About a century later, a daisy-cutter was a cricket ball, bowled in such a way that it just skimmed the surface of the grass. During the First World War, a daisy-cutter was an artillery shell that exploded on initial contact with the ground.