The other two answers covered the basic point. A cutaway is part of the basic body design that is "cut away" to give easier access to the higher frets for playing styles that utilize a lot of playing on the frets that overlap the body. The cut-away DOES detract from the acoustic power of the instrument due to the necessary internal bracing modifications as well as the lessened top surface and internal air volume, so a cutaway is very much a trade-off between playability and sonority.
One point about acoustic guitars. The basic shape is NOT necessarily a dreadnaught design, which is very modern and made popular by Crosby, Stills and Nash (and later C, S, N and Young) in the early 1970s and quite distinct from the smaller rounded Spanish shape of such guitars as the earlier Martin "New Yorker" and Gibsons (such as the one used by Bob Dylan in his early days on the scene).
Another basic design that is still very popular is the "jumbo" design, which is far more rounded than the boxy dreadnaught style. Also, making a comeback are the smaller, but still full scale, "parlor" guitars, which were the standard size a century ago. Then there are variations of classical guitars, one of which is the Flemenco-style. Then, there are the archtop acoustic guitars, not so popular today but still used by many.