Definitions for knife
naɪf; naɪvzknife

Princeton's WordNet(2.60 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. knifenoun

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

2. knifenoun

   a weapon with a handle and blade with a sharp point

3. tongue, knifeverb

   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, stabverb

   use a knife on

   "The victim was knifed to death"

Wiktionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. knifenoun

   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.

   Etymology: 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.

2. knifenoun

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

   Etymology: 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.

3. knifenoun

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

   Etymology: 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.

4. knifeverb

   To cut with a knife.

   Etymology: 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.

5. knifeverb

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

   Etymology: 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.

6. knifeverb

   To cut through as if with a knife.

   Etymology: 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.

7. knifeverb

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

   Etymology: 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.

8. knifeverb

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

   Etymology: 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(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Knifenoun

   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.

   Etymology: [OE. knif, AS. cnf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv.]

2. Knifenoun

   a sword or dagger

   Etymology: [OE. knif, AS. cnf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv.]

3. Knifeverb

   to prune with the knife

   Etymology: [OE. knif, AS. cnf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv.]

4. Knifeverb

   to cut or stab with a knife

   Etymology: [OE. knif, AS. cnf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv.]

Freebase(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Knife

   A knife is a cutting tool with a cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knife-like tools were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools. Originally made of rock, bone, flint, and obsidian, knives have evolved in construction as technology has, with blades being made from bronze, copper, iron, steel, ceramics, and titanium. Many cultures have their unique version of the knife. Due to its role as humankind's first tool, certain cultures have attached spiritual and religious significance to the knife. Most modern-day knives follow either a fixed-blade or a folding construction style, with blade patterns and styles as varied as their makers and countries of origin.

Chambers 20th Century Dictionary(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Knife

   nīf, n. an instrument for cutting: a sword or dagger:—pl. Knives (nīvz).—v.t. to stab with a knife: (Amer.) to try to destroy a political candidate's chances by a treacherous attack.—ns. Knife′-and-fork′, a trencherman; Knife′-board, a board on which knives are cleaned: (coll.) the seat running along the top of an omnibus; Knife′-boy, a boy employed in cleaning knives; Knife′-edge (mech.), a sharp piece of steel like a knife's edge serving as the axis of a balance, &c.; Knife′-grind′er, one who grinds or sharpens knives; Knife′-mon′ey, a knife-shaped bronze currency formerly used in China; Knife′-rest, a glass or metal utensil on which to rest a carving-knife or fork; Knife′-tray, a tray for holding knives.—War to the knife, mortal combat. [A.S. cníf: Ger. kneif, knife, kneifen, to nip.]

Dictionary of Nautical Terms(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. knife

   An old name for a dagger: thus Lady Macbeth-- "That my keen knife see not the wound it makes."

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. knife

   Song lyrics by knife -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by knife on the Lyrics.com website.

Matched Categories

1. • Edge Tool
   • Injure
   • Weapon

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'knife' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #3678

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'knife' in Written Corpus Frequency: #3130

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'knife' in Nouns Frequency: #1294

How to pronounce knife?

1. Alex

   US English

   Daniel

   British

   Karen

   Australian

   Veena

   Indian

How to say knife in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of knife in Chaldean Numerology is: 3

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of knife in Pythagorean Numerology is: 9

Examples of knife in a Sentence

1. Anthony Prate:

   My girlfriend and I had a fight. She stabbed me with a knife, and I stabbed her back, and I think shes gravely wounded.

2. Interior Minister Joachim Herrmann:

   The attacker appears to have been a 17-year-old Afghan who has been living in Ochsenfurt for some time, he suddenly attacked passengers with a knife and an ax, critically injuring several. Some of them may now be fighting for their lives.

3. President John McNesby:

   Our police officers are being vilified for doing their job and keeping the community safe, after being confronted by a man with a knife. We support and defend these officers, as they too are traumatized by being involved in a fatal shooting, we ask the public for its patience as investigators work to gather all the facts of this tragic incident in West Philadelphia. Our thoughts and prayers are with these police officers who had to use lethal force to keep themselves and the community safe.

4. France Adel Kermiche:

   You get a knife, go to a church, spread carnage, boom. You cut off two or three heads and you're done.

5. Paul OShaughnessy:

   He had a knife, it was covered in blood. He kept saying something in Arabic, he was clearly under the influence of something, my brother Luke managed to keep him pinned down until the police arrived. My brother put a crate and a chair to keep him pinned down. He didnt show any remorse at all.

Images & Illustrations of knife

Popularity rank by frequency of use