noun
man of ability; capable person
Refers to a person of notable skill or talent. Somewhat literary or old-fashioned; in modern speech 有能な人 or やり手 are more common.
彼はなかなかの切れ手だ。
He is quite a capable person.
やり手 is a more common and modern word for a capable or go-getting person, while 切れ手 is rarer and more literary.
有能 is an adjective meaning 'competent' or 'able', used more broadly than the noun 切れ手.
Compound of 切れ (kire, 'cutting well, sharpness') and 手 (te, 'person'), suggesting a person with sharp ability. The exact historical derivation is uncertain.