knife
[ nahyf ]
/ naɪf /
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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.
QUIZZES
QUIZ YOURSELF ON “THEIR,” “THERE,” AND “THEY’RE”
Are you aware how often people swap around “their,” “there,” and “they’re”? Prove you have more than a fair grasp over these commonly confused words.
Question 1 of 7
Which one of these commonly confused words can act as an adverb or a pronoun?
Idioms for 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, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2021
Example sentences from the Web for knife
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
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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.