palette knife

American  

noun

Painting.

1. a thin blade of varying flexibility set in a handle and used for mixing colors or applying them to a canvas.

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palette knife British  

noun

1. a round-ended spatula with a thin flexible blade used esp by artists for mixing, applying, and scraping off paint, esp oil paint

2. a knife with a round-ended flexible blade used in cookery for scraping out a mixture from a bowl, spreading icing, etc

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Etymology

Origin of palette knife

First recorded in 1750–60

Example Sentences

He used a palette knife, sharp instruments, even his fingers, to scrape the paint.

From The Wall Street Journal • Oct. 31, 2025

Paint — and with it, facial features and bodily definition — is scraped off with the palette knife as often as it is laid on.

From New York Times • Nov. 18, 2021

“Puget Sound Orca” by artist Heidi Barnett is an acrylic palette knife painting that measures 8 inches by 12 inches, including the frame.

From Seattle Times • Nov. 16, 2021

She prized speed and spontaneity in both art forms, typically finishing her paintings in a single sitting, using a palette knife to apply dollops of pigment to a small canvas lying flat on her desk.

From Washington Post • Nov. 16, 2021

He didn’t use a brush much, mainly a palette knife.

From "Middlesex: A Novel" by Jeffrey Eugenides