Definitions for knifenaɪf; naɪvz

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Random House Webster's College Dictionary

knifenaɪf; naɪvz(n.; v.)(pl.)knives; knifed, knif•ing.

  1. (n.)an instrument for cutting, consisting of a sharp-edged metal blade fitted with a handle.

  2. a knifelike weapon; dagger or short sword.

  3. any blade for cutting, as in a tool or machine.

  4. (v.t.)to apply a knife to; cut, stab, etc., with a knife.

  5. to attempt to defeat or undermine in a secret or underhanded way.

  6. (v.i.)to move or cleave through something with or as if with a knife:

    The ship knifed through the sea.

Idioms for knife:

  1. under the knife,undergoing surgery.

    Category: Idiom

Origin of knife:

bef. 1100; ME knif, OE cnīf, or < ON knīfr, c. OFris, MLG knīf

knif′er(n.)

Princeton's WordNet

  1. knife(noun)

    edge tool used as a cutting instrument; has a pointed blade with a sharp edge and a handle

  2. knife(noun)

    a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point

  3. tongue, knife(verb)

    any long thin projection that is transient

    "tongues of flame licked at the walls"; "rifles exploded quick knives of fire into the dark"

  4. knife, stab(verb)

    use a knife on

    "The victim was knifed to death"

Kernerman English Learner's Dictionary

  1. knife(noun)ɪf

    a tool for cutting, with a sharp blade and handle

    knives, forks and spoons; arrested for carrying a knife

Wiktionary

  1. knife(Noun)

    A utensil or a tool designed for cutting, consisting of a flat piece of hard material, usually steel or other metal (the blade), usually sharpened on one edge, attached to a handle. The blade may be pointed for piercing.

  2. knife(Noun)

    A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing and/or stabbing and too short to be called a sword. A dagger.

  3. knife(Noun)

    Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as the knives for a chipper.

  4. knife(Verb)

    To cut with a knife.

  5. knife(Verb)

    To use a knife to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the knife as a weapon.

  6. knife(Verb)

    To cut through as if with a knife.

  7. knife(Verb)

    To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.

  8. knife(Verb)

    To positively ignore, especially in order to denigrate. compare cut

  9. Origin: knif, from late cnif, from Old Norse knífr (compare Danish/Swedish kniv), from knībaz (compare Low German Knief, Knäip ‘penknife’), from ‘to pinch’ (compare Dutch knijpen, Low German kniepen, Old High German gniffen), from gneibʰ- (compare Lithuanian gnýbti, žnýbti ‘to pinch’, gnaibis ‘pinching’). Replaced Middle English sexe.

Webster Dictionary

  1. Knife(noun)

    an instrument consisting of a thin blade, usually of steel and having a sharp edge for cutting, fastened to a handle, but of many different forms and names for different uses; as, table knife, drawing knife, putty knife, pallet knife, pocketknife, penknife, chopping knife, etc.

  2. Knife(noun)

    a sword or dagger

  3. Knife(verb)

    to prune with the knife

  4. Knife(verb)

    to cut or stab with a knife


Translations for knife

Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary

knife(noun)

an instrument for cutting

He carved the meat with a large knife.

Get even more translations for knife »


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