knife
Americannoun
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an instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle.
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a knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword.
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any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine.
verb (used with object)
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to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife.
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to attempt to defeat or undermine in a secret or underhanded way.
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
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a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp-edged often pointed blade of metal fitted into a handle or onto a machine
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a similar instrument used as a weapon
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to have a grudge against or victimize someone
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to make a bad situation worse in a deliberately malicious way
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people are determined to harm or put a stop to someone
the knives are out for Stevens
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undergoing a surgical operation
verb
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to cut, stab, or kill with a knife
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to betray, injure, or depose in an underhand way
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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knifesimple
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knifessimple
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have knifedperfect
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has knifedperfect
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am knifingprogressive
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are knifingprogressive
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is knifingprogressive
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have been knifingperfect progressive
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has been knifingperfect progressive
Past
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knifedsimple
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had knifedperfect
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was knifingprogressive
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were knifingprogressive
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had been knifingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of knife
before 1100; Middle English knif, Old English cnīf; cognate with Dutch knijf, German Kneif, Old Norse knīfr
Explanation
A knife is a sharp tool that's used for slicing or cutting. We suggest using a knife as a kitchen tool instead of as a weapon. A bread knife has a long, serrated edge, and the blade of a pocket knife folds into its handle so you can safely carry it in your pocket. Surgeons use very small knives to make delicate cuts during operations, and various kinds of knives are sometimes used as weapons. To knife, in fact, is to stab or cut with a knife, almost always in a violent way.
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.
See Examples For:
Let the pastries cool in the tin for 10 minutes, then gently loosen them with a small offset spatula or butter knife.
From Salon ● Jul. 20, 2026
"Women should think twice before succumbing to the charm of all these Instagram beauties and going under the knife."
From Barron's ● Jul. 17, 2026
Squeezed at the edge of the scene is a table with the tools of an artist scattered about—palette knife, tubes of paints, a can of brush cleaner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 10, 2026
SPF general secretary David Kennedy said Scotland was "absolutely" facing a knife crisis and blamed the loss of some stop-and-search powers.
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
“Thank you,” Phillip said, using Jack’s knife to cut a bit of his cape off to bandage his hand, then did the same for Jack.
From "Half Upon a Time" by James Riley
Arrabaca had two axes, a hammer, a machete, six fireworks and three fixed-blade knives, Barnacle said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 20, 2026
And they want the law changed so that large Sikh ceremonial knives are not exempt from the rules on carrying weapons.
From BBC ● Jun. 6, 2026
But the CPS said Digwa chose to carry two ceremonial knives and that the judge's finding of fact made clear he agreed with its assessment that the weapon used was a kirpan.
From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026
The first lady’s remarks came after a man armed with a shotgun, handgun and several knives breached security at the Washington black-tie event on April 25.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
One by one, he'd work through the dull knives.
From "Black Swan Green" by David Mitchell
A blocks-long motorcade glides along freeways closed to traffic and knifes through city streets cleared specially for her path.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 4, 2024
Take Can a woman win the election: a sly, mean, ego-saving little canard that knifes both its subject and its verb in order to spare the real actor here.
From Slate ● Jan. 14, 2020
I picture her crumpling into the nearest chair the way one sometimes does when bad news knifes through that thin veil of hope mixed with denial.
From New York Times ● Sep. 14, 2016
From aged three to about seven or eight, we don't let the children go near the cooker or use sharp knifes - maybe just a round-ended knife.
From BBC ● Jul. 12, 2013
I hear the catch in his voice, and it knifes through me.
From "The Adoration of Jenna Fox" by Mary E. Pearson
The season was hanging by a thread a few minutes later as Yates knifed through a crowd of Rutgers defenders.
From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 12, 2025
Folsom threatened to regain the lead late in the third quarter, but Drew Cofield knifed through the line to block Lincoln Phelps’ 32-yard field-goal attempt and teammate David Montes recovered.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 9, 2023
He pointed his arms to the clear spring sky, knifed by the vapor trails of passing airplanes.
From Washington Post ● Apr. 16, 2023
The setting sun seems to set the ocean ablaze, while to its left, the tossing slaver appears to be swallowed up by a knifed spray of white.
From New York Times ● Apr. 7, 2022
A log-sized one knifed through the top of a water oak.
From "Where the Red Fern Grows" by Wilson Rawls
Claude took that advice to heart, knifing through the lane and attacking the rim early and often.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 1, 2025
Van Lith, whose first basket came on a knifing drive for a layup with 1:43 left in the second quarter, had two jumpers blocked by Beal and three turnovers in the first half.
From Seattle Times ● Apr. 1, 2022
They make it look easy: crisp gymnastics through the air, knifing impact with the water and barely a splash upon entry.
From New York Times ● Aug. 1, 2021
Bolsonaro, 66, has been in the Sao Paulo hospital since Wednesday for treatment relating to an obstructed intestine following the 2018 knifing.
From Reuters ● Jul. 17, 2021
“Don’t turn the light on—” she said hastily, fearing the harsh, knifing blast of fluorescence.
From "The Milagro Beanfield War" by John Nichols
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.
