Gesneden

Gesneden is the past participle of the Dutch verb snijden (to cut). It functions both as an adjective and in passive constructions to indicate that something has been cut or carved. When used attributively before a noun, it describes the state of being sliced or cut, as in brood that has been cut into slices or kaas that has been cut into slices. In everyday Dutch, gesneden is common in product labels, recipes, and culinary descriptions: gesneden brood (sliced bread), gesneden kaas (sliced cheese), gesneden groenten (cut vegetables).

Beyond food, gesneden can describe carved or cut surfaces in crafts and architecture, such as gesneden houtwerk (carved woodwork) or een gesneden patroon (a carved pattern). The term also appears in passive constructions, for example Het brood is gesneden, to indicate that the bread has already been cut.

Origin and usage notes: gesneden derives from snijden and functions with standard Dutch auxiliary verbs to form different tenses, such as heeft gesneden or is gesneden in present contexts. The word is widely understood across Dutch-speaking regions and is used in both formal and informal language to denote that an item has been prepared by cutting or carving. Its meaning remains consistent across culinary, artisanal, and general contexts, with the primary nuance being the completion of the cutting action.