knife
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.
Noun 3 meanings
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.
“He was looking for a knife to chop some steak.”
A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing or stabbing but too short to be called a sword; a dagger.
Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as that of a chipper.
Verb 4 meanings
To cut with a knife.
To use a knife to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the knife as a weapon.
“She was repeatedly knifed in the chest.”
To cut through as if with a knife.
“The boat knifed through the water.”
To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.
Etymology
From Middle English knyf, knif, from late Old English cnīf, from Old Norse knífr or Proto-West Germanic *knīb, from Proto-Germanic *knībaz, from *knīpaną (“to pinch”), Proto-Indo-European *gneybʰ- (compare Lithuanian gnýbti, žnýbti (“to pinch”), gnaibis (“pinching”)).
Similar and opposite words
KNIFE at a glance
KNIFE has 5 letters and scores 12 points in Scrabble (K 5 + N 1 + I 1 + F 4 + E 1) and 13 in Words With Friends, before board bonuses. It ranks #3,498 by how often it appears in everyday English. It is valid in ENABLE, NWL2023, Collins/SOWPODS.
Rhymes with knife
All rhymes- LIFE7
- WIFE10
- WILDLIFE15
- HOUSEWIFE18
- STRIFE9
- FIFE10
- AFTERLIFE15
- MIDWIFE16
- NIGHTLIFE16
- RIFE7
- MIDLIFE13
- LOWLIFE13
One letter away
- KNIVE12
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