A cutlet refers to a number of different food items. Most commonly it is a thin slice of meat from the leg or ribs of veal, pork, chicken, or mutton, or a dish made by breading such an item. It could also be a croquette made of ground meat or vegetables, or a cut of fish cut perpendicular to the spine (more often called a [steak (fish)|steak]), or a shrimp with its head and shell removed.
Historically, American recipes referred mainly to veal cutlets.