shiv
Americannoun
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a knife, especially a switchblade.
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Also called shank. an improvised or homemade weapon for cutting or stabbing, especially one honed by a prison inmate or used by a criminal.
verb (used with object)
noun
Usage
What does shiv mean? A shiv is a slang term for a knife, especially a switchblade. It is most often used to refer to improvised blades made in prison and the act of stabbing (shivving) fellow inmates or guards with them.
Etymology
Origin of shiv
First recorded in 1665–75; perhaps alteration of Romani chiv “blade”
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Sharp as a shiv but wickedly playful, Nick Harkaway's near-future noir sends Cal Sounder, an all too human detective, into the realm of literal giants.
From Scientific American • May 31, 2023
In “The Playboy of the Western World,” audiences gain access to a long-standing Irish tradition of playwrights with a yen for the dramatic shiv.
From Washington Post • Nov. 9, 2022
Best known from his many film, television and voice-over performances as a twinkling human Yoda, he writes himself into his plays as a schlump concealing a shiv.
From New York Times • Jul. 7, 2021
And you know that buried inside the fluffy confection of “Younger” is a shiv aimed straight at misogyny and ageism in publishing and beyond.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 8, 2020
“There are leaks and then there are people using the press to shiv each other in the ribs,” she said.
From Seattle Times • Jul. 28, 2017
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
