きる
kiru
One cut, and the line is broken: きる
The picture Something continuous being cut clean in two. きる cuts what was joined; つなぐ joins back what was cut.
Where the picture shows up in きる
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cut with a blade
野菜を小さく切ってください。
yasai o chiisaku kitte kudasai
Please cut the vegetables small.
A blade passing through a length of radish and laying it open in pieces
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cut it off your body
昨日、髪を切りました。
kinō, kami o kirimashita
I got my hair cut yesterday.
Scissors severing the strands of hair and dropping them to the floor
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cut the connection
じゃあ、そろそろ電話を切りますね。
jā, sorosoro denwa o kirimasu ne
Right, I'll hang up now.
The line running to your ear cut clean, and the quiet that follows
The polite way to end a call; hanging up without saying it sounds rude.
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cut the current
出るときはエアコンを切ってください。
deru toki wa eakon o kitte kudasai
Please switch off the AC when you leave.
The stream of current running to the AC cut off at the switch
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cut off the water clinging on
麺はよく水を切ってから皿に入れます。
men wa yoku mizu o kitte kara sara ni iremasu
Drain the noodles well before plating them.
A shake of the strainer snapping off the drops clinging to the noodles
All of it in one picture
きる is the picture of something continuous being cut clean in two. The blade cuts through the radish; the scissors cut hair off your body; hanging up cuts the line running to your ear; the switch cuts the stream of current; the strainer cuts off the water clinging to the noodles. Only what gets cut changes — a vegetable, hair, a connection, current, water. So wherever きる goes, there is a clear before (joined) and after (apart).