knife

[ nahyf ]

/ naɪf /

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See synonyms for: knife / knifing / knives / knifelike on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural knives

[nahyvz]. /naɪvz/.

an instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle.

a knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword.

any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine.

verb (used with object), knifed, knif·ing.

to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife.

to attempt to defeat or undermine in a secret or underhanded way.

verb (used without object), knifed, knif·ing.

to move or cleave through something with or as if with a knife: The ship knifed through the heavy seas.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about knife

under the knife, in surgery; undergoing a medical operation: The patient was under the knife for four hours.

Origin of knife

before 1100; Middle English knif,Old English cnīf; cognate with Dutch knijf,German Kneif,Old Norse knīfr

OTHER WORDS FROM knife

knifelike, adjectiveknifer, noun

Words nearby knife

knickered, knickers, knickknack, knickpoint, Knies, knife, knife box, knife edge, knife-edged, knife grinder, knifeman

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use knife in a sentence

Anything that quickens the movement of money will have far-reaching effects at a time when businesses exist on a solvency knife edge.
Smart stimulus: Cash as code|Claire Beatty|September 9, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Such people could have been harmed by a knife, spear or arrow, Broehl explains.
Women like Mulan didn’t need to go to war in disguise|Bethany Brookshire|September 4, 2020|Science News For Students
For knives that I’m going to carry in a pocket or on my belt, I find that the sweet spot in blade length is between three and four inches.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
This arrangement helps prevent your knife from snagging on things like seat belts, doors, or bags, helping ensure that the knife doesn’t fall out of your pocket.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online

A knife is a tool, and the right tool is determined by the job you’re asking it to perform.
Three Questions to Ask Yourself Before Buying a Knife|Wes Siler|September 3, 2020|Outside Online
I took out my knife, my Ka-Bar, and knocked his teeth out, but they fell into his throat.
The Story Behind Lee Marvin’s Liberty Valance Smile|Robert Ward|January 3, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He had a special knife designed to cut the dense loaf, and a ceremony to precede cutting the cake.
One Cake to Rule Them All: How Stollen Stole Our Hearts|Molly Hannon|December 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Wielding a curved knife, a young man navigates past the aging structures and into the forest.
The Congo's Forgotten Colonial Getaway|Nina Strochlic|December 18, 2014|DAILY BEAST
But in the next instant, Peters is stepping back to the table and snatching up the knife.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill|Michael Daly|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Stand the f--- away from the knife right now, man,” the cop says.
Synagogue Slay: When Cops Have to Kill|Michael Daly|December 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Pearson flung his knife and fork at it, having forgotten to drop those light weapons when he leaped up.
Hunting the Lions|R.M. Ballantyne
Black Sheep looked up at Harry's throat and then at a knife on the dinner-table.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
A knife would hurt, but Aunty Rosa had told him, a year ago, that if he sucked paint he would die.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
The servant-girl came up from the kitchen, took the knife away, and consoled him.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling
Black Sheep sat at the bottom of the stairs, the table-knife in his hand, and wept for that he had not killed Harry.
Kipling Stories and Poems Every Child Should Know, Book II|Rudyard Kipling

British Dictionary definitions for knife

knife

/ (naɪf) /

noun plural knives (naɪvz)

a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp-edged often pointed blade of metal fitted into a handle or onto a machine

a similar instrument used as a weapon

have one's knife in someone to have a grudge against or victimize someone

twist the knife to make a bad situation worse in a deliberately malicious way

the knives are out for someone British people are determined to harm or put a stop to someonethe knives are out for Stevens

under the knife undergoing a surgical operation

verb (tr)

to cut, stab, or kill with a knife

to betray, injure, or depose in an underhand way

Derived forms of knife

knifelike, adjectiveknifer, noun

Word Origin for knife

Old English cnīf; related to Old Norse knīfr, Middle Low German knīf

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

Other Idioms and Phrases with knife

knife

see at gunpoint (knifepoint); under the knife; you could cut it with a knife.

knife

Idioms about knife

Origin of knife

OTHER WORDS FROM knife

Words nearby knife

Words related to knife

How to use knife in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for knife

Derived forms of knife

Word Origin for knife

Other Idioms and Phrases with knife