English Explanatory Dictionary

knife

English dictionary entry

Meanings

noun
  1. A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge, attached to a handle. The blade may be pointed for piercing.
  2. A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing or stabbing but too short to be called a sword; a dagger.
  3. Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as that of a chipper.
verb
  1. To cut with a knife.
  2. To use a knife to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the knife as a weapon.
  3. To cut through as if with a knife.
  4. To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.
  5. To positively ignore, especially in order to denigrate; compare cut.

Pronunciation

/ˈnaɪ̯f/ En-uk-a knife.ogg En-us-knife.ogg /ˈnɐɪ̯f/ /ˈnɜɪ̯f/ /ˈnʌɪ̯f/ /ˈnəɪ̯f/ /ˈnɑɪ̯f/ /ˈnɒ̈ɪ̯f/ /ˈnaːf/

Word forms

knife knives knyfe knive knifes knifing knifed

Etymology

From Middle English knyf, knif, from late Old English cnīf, from Old Norse knífr, from Proto-Germanic *knībaz, from *knīpaną (“to pinch”), Proto-Indo-European *gneybʰ- (compare Lithuanian gnýbti, žnýbti (“to pinch”), gnaibis (“pinching”)). Displaced native Middle English sax (“knife”) from Old English seax; and Middle English coutel, qwetyll (“knife”) from Old French coutel. The verb knife is attested since the 1860s; the variant knive is attested since 1733. Cognates Cognate with Yola kunnife (“knife”), North Frisian knif (“knife”), Dutch knijf (“long pointy knife, poniard”), German Knifte (“rifle; thick slicebread”), German Low German Knief (“knife”), Luxembourgish Knäip (“paring knife”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, and Norwegian Nynorsk kniv (“knife”), Faroese knívur (“knife”), Icelandic hnífur, knífur (“knife”), Swedish knif, kniv (“knife”).

Synonyms

burn quisle stab in the back assfuck betray cop out cross out cross up double-cross do someone dirty do the dirty on false go back on knife let down play someone false renegade sell sell the pass sell down the river sell down sell out swike traitorize turncoat

Derived words

before you can say knife bring a knife to a gunfight byknife catch a falling knife cut deeper than a knife cut like a knife cut with a knife and fork cyberknife did my back hurt your knife electroknife falling knife histoknife hot-knife knife and fork knife-and-fork knife arch knifeblade knife block knifeboard knife-boy knife-coloured knife control knifecraft knifecrime knife crime knife-ear knife ear knife-edge effect knife edge knife-edge knife fight knifefish knifeful knife game knifegrinder knife grinder knifehand knife-handle knifejaw knifeless knifelike knifemaker knifemaking knifeman knife money knifeplay knife pleat knifepoint knifeproof knifer knife-rest knife rest knife roll knifery knifesman knifesmith knifestory knife switch knife thrower knife twister
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