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switchblade

American  
[swich-bleyd] / ˈswɪtʃˌbleɪd /

noun

  1. a pocketknife, the blade of which is held by a spring and can be released suddenly, as by pressing a button.

switchblade British  
/ ˈswɪtʃˌbleɪd /

noun

  1. a knife with a retractable blade that springs out when a button is pressed

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of switchblade

First recorded in 1905–10; switch + 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.

Might that change this Christmas on a wave of appreciation for the man who wrote those wonderful words, then laid waste to them with his rusty switchblade of a voice?

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 30, 2023

“Lethal Woman” may be a bit unhinged but it’s the sound of a young artist enjoying herself, embracing naughtiness, adding a sprinkle of her beloved Broadway and strutting away with a switchblade on her hip.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 20, 2023

Then Anna hands Marlene her switchblade to give to Ellie, the only inheritance she can pass her child other than her fighting spirit and immunity to a deadly, incurable fungus.

From Salon • Mar. 13, 2023

The main 12 switchblade keys on Razer’s Stream Controller can be programmed to trigger commands or macros, with customizable icons and the ability to adjust the haptic feedback you get from pressing a touchscreen key.

From The Verge • Jul. 14, 2022

It cost six dollars. 4TH JUROR: It’s against the law to buy or sell switchblade knives. 8TH JUROR: That’s right.

From "Twelve Angry Men" by Reginald Rose

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.