knife
Americannoun
plural
knives-
an instrument for cutting, consisting essentially of a thin, sharp-edged, metal blade fitted with a handle.
-
a knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword.
-
any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine.
verb (used with object)
-
to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife.
-
to attempt to defeat or undermine in a secret or underhanded way.
verb (used without object)
idioms
noun
-
a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp-edged often pointed blade of metal fitted into a handle or onto a machine
-
a similar instrument used as a weapon
-
to have a grudge against or victimize someone
-
to make a bad situation worse in a deliberately malicious way
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people are determined to harm or put a stop to someone
the knives are out for Stevens
-
undergoing a surgical operation
verb
-
to cut, stab, or kill with a knife
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to betray, injure, or depose in an underhand way
Other Word Forms
- knifelike adjective
- knifer noun
Etymology
Origin of knife
before 1100; Middle English knif, Old English cnīf; cognate with Dutch knijf, German Kneif, Old Norse knīfr
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 week after Ibrahima's death, about 1,000 people gathered at the scene of the attack, calling for an end to knife crime.
From BBC
She wants knives removed from shelves and placed in locked cabinets behind shop counters to eliminate the risk of theft.
From BBC
Earlier, the jury of six men and six women were shown items removed from Natalie's home in the aftermath of her death, including a small black-handled knife found at the scene beside her.
From BBC
I took the knife in her hand and cut the ropes from Red’s wrists and ankles.
From Literature
He said that from his vantage point from the top of the stairs, he saw a black-handled knife.
From BBC
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.
