switchblade

American  

[swich-blayd] / ˈswɪtʃˌbleɪd /

noun

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

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switchblade British  

/ ˈswɪtʃˌbleɪd /

noun

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

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Etymology

Origin of switchblade

First recorded in 1905–10; switch + blade

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Example Sentences

See Examples For:

switchblade

Also hot from the Wayback Machine, the keyfob: A rounded, black, domino-shaped device with the switchblade release.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 15, 2026

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

A woman casually cleaned her nails with a switchblade.

From "The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm" by Nancy Farmer

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