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Synonyms

kris

American  
[krees] / kris /
Sometimes kriss,

noun

  1. a short sword or heavy dagger with a wavy blade, used by the Malays.

kris British  
/ krɪs /

noun

  1. Also called: crease.   creese.  a Malayan and Indonesian stabbing or slashing knife with a scalloped edge

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of kris

First recorded in 1570–80; from Malay kəris (spelling keris )

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Paulina had to decide whether to take her case to the American justice system or go through a traditional Romani tribunal, called a kris.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 6, 2023

Leaders will also receive a traditional kris dagger, a distinctive asymmetrical knife usually between 11 and 14 inches long with a wavy blade.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 10, 2022

Her sword is reminiscent of the Indonesian kris.

From The Verge • Mar. 5, 2021

During the sultan’s time, Pesarean was famous for the manufacture of Javanese daggers, known as kris.

From National Geographic • May 31, 2016

Its crest was up on end, its beak was a good two inches long and curved like a Malay kris; its claws gripped the little man's shoulder.

From Some Experiences of an Irish R.M. by Ross, Martin

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.