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.

QUIZ

THINGAMABOB OR THINGUMMY: CAN YOU DISTINGUISH BETWEEN THE US AND UK TERMS IN THIS QUIZ?

Do you know the difference between everyday US and UK terminology? Test yourself with this quiz on words that differ across the Atlantic.

Question 1 of 7

In the UK, COTTON CANDY is more commonly known as…

candystring

candyfloss

candypuff

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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

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

How to use knife in a sentence

Instead, he slowly jack-knifes from the hips until his shoelaces are level with his face.
The Petraeus Workout|Christopher McDougall|June 25, 2010|DAILY BEAST
Many of them, she said, were carrying stones and knifes in their handbags and backpacks, and weren't the least bit afraid.
Neda: Cautionary Tale or Inspiration?|Azadeh Moaveni|June 23, 2009|DAILY BEAST
I see 'ow it was; Duran knifes the man, steals the kid, and 'as me to run; and 'ee stays be'ind to 'elp put the blyme on me.
The Voodoo Gold Trail|Walter Walden
Now Ive got to shut down one lathe till the other knifes ground down.
Sudden Jim|Clarence Budington Kelland

He is always as good as his word, and his promises are engraved with the knifes point.
Excursions in the mountains of Ronda and Granada, with characteristic sketches of the inhabitants of southern Spain, vol. 1/2|Charles Rochfort Scott
Give us some plates, any knifes, and some forks, rinse the glasses.
Seeing and Hearing|George W. E. Russell
Sharp knifes are therefore indispensable in this kind of work.
The Progress of the Marbling Art|Josef Halfer

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 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