Cut-out (espionage)

Cut-out is a term used in espionage (spying activities between countries) to describe ways to make sure a secret message or plan can get from one person to another without anyone finding out. This can include using secret codes, leaving the message in a certain place, or having one person carry the message without knowing what it says. With cut-outs, the two people who are exchanging information never directly meet or talk so it is harder for their conversations or plans to be discovered.