noun pl. knives
- a cutting or stabbing instrument with a sharp blade, single-edged or double-edged, set in a handle
- a cutting blade, as in a machine
Origin:
ME knif < OE cnif, akin to Ger kneif, ON knīfr < IE *gneibh- (> Lith gnaibis, a pinching): for base see knead
transitive verb knifed, knifing
- to cut or stab with a knife
- ☆ Informal to use underhanded methods in order to hurt, defeat, or betray
intransitive verb
to pass into or through something quickly, like a sharp knife