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.
A headline in the Los Angeles Times strove to be diplomatic—or at least deliver the shiv elegantly: “Paramount settlement is less than desired, more than nothing.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 22, 2026
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
His people have said he plans to be strategic with his criticisms — more shiv than sledgehammer.
From Seattle Times ● May 30, 2023
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
Even so, the most frequent target of Thomas’ wicked sense of humor — part shield, part shiv — is Thomas himself.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jan. 14, 2020
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
