This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
knife
[ nahyf ]
/ naɪf /
Save This Word!
This shows grade level based on the word's complexity.
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.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?
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, nounWords 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
British Dictionary definitions for knife
knife
/ (naɪf) /
noun plural knives (naɪvz)
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, nounWord 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.
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary
Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.