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

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

Gruden is best served not publicly dissecting his quarterback; he learned that after taking apart Griffin’s game with a rusty penknife during one news conference last season.

From Washington Post • Sep. 25, 2015

Mr. Kumana showed him how to scratch a message with a penknife in the delicate skin beneath the hard shell of a coconut.

From New York Times • Aug. 16, 2014

Tanin flipped the penknife in her fingers once more and set it on the desktop.

From "The Reader" by Traci Chee