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.. [1913 Webster]
A sword or dagger. [1913 Webster]
"The coward conquest of a wretch's knife." [1913 Webster]

Knife grass (Bot.) a tropical American sedge (Scleria latifolia), having leaves with a very sharp and hard edge, like a knife. -- War to the knife, mortal combat; a conflict carried to the last extremity.

knife, v. t.

To prune with the knife. [1913 Webster]
To cut or stab with a knife. [1913 Webster]
Fig.: To stab in the back; to try to defeat by underhand means, esp. in politics; to vote or work secretly against (a candidate of one's own party). [Webster 1913 Suppl.]

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OXFORD DICTIONARY

knife, n. & v.
--n. (pl. knives)
1 a a metal blade used as a cutting tool with usu. one long sharp edge fixed rigidly in a handle or hinged (cf. PENKNIFE). b a similar tool used as a weapon.
2 a cutting-blade forming part of a machine.
3 (as the knife) a surgical operation or operations.
--v.tr.
1 cut or stab with a knife.
2 sl. bring about the defeat of (a person) by underhand means.

Idiom

at knife-point threatened with a knife or an ultimatum etc. before you can say knife colloq. very quickly or suddenly. get one's knife into treat maliciously or vindictively, persecute. knife-board a board on which knives are cleaned. knife-edge
1 the edge of a knife.
2 a position of extreme danger or uncertainty.
3 a steel wedge on which a pendulum etc. oscillates.
4 = AR

Usage

TE. knife-grinder
1 a travelling sharpener of knives etc.
2 a person who grinds knives etc. during their manufacture. knife-machine a machine for cleaning knives. knife-pleat a narrow flat pleat on a skirt etc., usu. overlapping another. knife-rest a metal or glass support for a carving-knife or -fork at table. knife-throwing a circus etc. act in which knives are thrown at targets. that one could cut with a knife colloq. (of an accent, atmosphere, etc.) very obvious, oppressive, etc.

Derivative

knifelike adj. knifer n.

Etymology

OE cnif f. ON kn{iacute}fr f. Gmc

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THESAURUS

knife

ax, barong, bayonet, blade, bolo, bowie, bowie knife, cold steel, cut, cutlery, cutter, dagger, dining utensils, dirk, edge tool, edge tools, flat silver, flatware, forks, gravity knife, hollow ware, impale, knives, lance, machete, naked steel, parang, pierce, pigsticker, play dirty pool, play one false, plunge in, point, poniard, prove false, puncturer, run through, saber, sharpener, silver, silver plate, silverware, slash, spear, spike, spit, spoons, stab, stainless-steel ware, steel, stick, stiletto, switchblade, switchblade knife, sword, tablespoon, tableware, teaspoon, toad sticker, transfix, transpierce, whittle, wound

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ROGET THESAURUS

knife

Sharpness

N sharpness, acuity, acumination, spinosity, point, spike, spine, spicule, spiculum, needle, hypodermic needle, tack, nail, pin, prick, prickle, spur, rowel, barb, spit, cusp, horn, antler, snag, tag thorn, bristle, Adam's needle, bear grass, tine, yucca, nib, tooth, tusk, spoke, cog, ratchet, crag, crest, arete, cone peak, sugar loaf, pike, aiguille, spire, pyramid, steeple, beard, chevaux de frise, porcupine, hedgehog, brier, bramble, thistle, comb, awn, beggar's lice, bur, burr, catchweed, cleavers, clivers, goose, grass, hairif, hariff, flax comb, hackle, hatchel, heckle, wedge, knife edge, cutting edge, blade, edge tool, cutlery, knife, penknife, whittle, razor, razor blade, safety razor, straight razor, electric razor, scalpel, bistoury, lancet, plowshare, coulter, colter, hatchet, ax, pickax, mattock, pick, adze, gill, billhook, cleaver, cutter, scythe, sickle, scissors, shears, pruning shears, cutters, wire cutters, nail clipper, paper cutter, sword, bodkin, belduque, bowie knife, paring knife, bushwhacker, drawing knife, drawing shave, microtome, chisel, screwdriver blade, flint blade, guillotine, sharpener, hone, strop, grindstone, whetstone, novaculite, steel, emery, sharp, keen, acute, acicular, aciform, aculeated, acuminated, pointed, tapering, conical, pyramidal, mucronate, mucronated, spindle shaped, needle shaped, spiked, spiky, ensiform, peaked, salient, cusped, cuspidate, cuspidated, cornute, cornuted, cornicultate, prickly, spiny, spinous, spicular, thorny, bristling, muricated, pectinated, studded, thistly, briary, craggy, snaggy, digitated, two-edged, fusiform, dentiform, denticulated, toothed, odontoid, starlike, stellated, stelliform, sagittate, sagittiform, arrowheaded, arrowy, barbed, spurred, acinaciform, apiculate, apiculated, aristate, awned, awny, bearded, calamiform, cone-shaped, coniform, crestate, echinate, gladiate, lanceolate, lanciform, awl, awl-shaped, lance-shaped, awl- shaped, scimitar-shaped, sword-shaped, setarious, spinuliferous, subulate, tetrahedral, xiphoid, cutting, sharp edged, knife edged, sharp as a razor, keen as a razor, sharp as a needle, sharp as a tack, sharpened, set.

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