Swiss army knife

American  

noun

1. a small knife with blades and other tools, such as a nail file and corkscrew, all folding into the handle.

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Etymology

Origin of Swiss army knife

< Swiss Army, a trademark

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Swiss army knife

With Jofra Archer, Josh Tongue and Gus Atkinson bringing the pace, England have a Swiss army knife of an attack, albeit lacking a left-armer.

From BBC ● Sep. 12, 2026

“Kevin is extraordinary. He’s been like a Swiss army knife at Duquesne. He runs our private equity, he helps with economic forecasts. He handles the networking outside the firm.”

From MarketWatch ● May 7, 2026

Grajeda said it’s where Zamora and 16-year-old senior Steven Perez — Banning’s Swiss army knife — continued to blossom into leaders, channeling their “heart and pride” and preaching accountability.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2024

Concerning these applications, Vahala says "a comb is like a Swiss army knife for optics. It has many different functions, and that's why it's such a powerful tool."

From Science Daily ● Dec. 8, 2023

It was as if Lola had had a miniature laptop embedded in her body, which could spring out like some hidden tool on a Swiss army knife.

From "The School for Whatnots" by Margaret Peterson Haddix