penknife

American  

[pen-nahyf] / ˈpɛnˌnaɪf /

noun

plural

penknives

1. a small pocketknife, formerly one used for making and sharpening quill pens.

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penknife British  

/ ˈpɛnˌnaɪf /

noun

1. a small knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle; pocketknife

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Etymology

Origin of penknife

late Middle English word dating back to 1400–50; see origin at pen ¹, knife

Example Sentences

The surgeon in the penknife case, who the BBC is not naming, was operating on a patient at the Royal Sussex Hospital in Brighton when he struggled to find a scalpel.

From BBC • Oct. 1, 2024

My dad marked the man’s gun by carving his initials with a penknife on the handle.

From New York Times • Jan. 9, 2021

Gather up cardboard, penknife, paste, and calico scraps, and make a dollhouse bed with your kids this holiday week.

From Slate • Dec. 24, 2018

In one meeting with MCA’s lawyers, Petty’s manager later said, Petty “had a penknife that he got out, opened the penknife and started cleaning his nails.”

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 9, 2017

He chose a perfect daisy and, using his handkerchief to avoid being soiled by the sap, carefully cut through the stem with his penknife.

From "Abel's Island" by William Steig