cleaver

[klee-ver]

noun

1. a heavy, broad-bladed knife or long-bladed hatchet, especially one used by butchers for cutting meat into joints or pieces.

2. a person or thing that cleaves. cleave.

cleaver

/ ˈkliːvə /

noun

1. a heavy knife or long-bladed hatchet, esp one used by butchers

cleaver

1. A bifacial stone tool flaked to produce a straight, sharp, relatively wide edge at one end. Cleavers are early core tools associated primarily with the Acheulian tool culture.

Word History and Origins

Origin of cleaver¹

First recorded in 1325–75, cleaver is from the Middle English word clevere. See cleave ², -er ¹

Example Sentences

The sheriff’s department’s incident summary stated that Deputy Gregory Chico shot Susan Lu, 56, after she refused commands to drop a meat cleaver and raised the blade “toward deputies.”

From Los Angeles Times

Frankly, the film has so little on its mind in general that if a butcher’s cleaver slammed through its skull, it would strike cotton candy instead of gray matter.

From Salon

“But you don’t take a meat cleaver and do surgery.”

From Los Angeles Times

“But,” he said, “this is government reform by meat cleaver.”

From Salon

He said Ibbotson's gang were the aggressors and the teenager, whose violent history included wielding a meat cleaver in a street, was "goading" the smaller group to fight.

From BBC