knife

noun

/naɪf/

(plural knives

/naɪvz/

)

Idioms

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a sharp blade (= metal edge) with a handle, used for cutting or as a weapon
- knives and forks
- a sharp knife
- a bread knife (= one for cutting bread)
- The aim is to deter young people from carrying knives.
- He had been stabbed repeatedly with a kitchen knife.
- a plan to tackle knife crime
- She was murdered in a frenzied knife attack.
see also bowie knife, butter knife, carving knife, craft knife, fish knife, flick knife, jackknife, palette knife, paperknife, paring knife, penknife, sheath knife, Stanley knife™, Swiss Army knife™
Extra Examples
- He and his gang had a knife fight one night.
- He plunged the knife deep into her heart.
- He pressed the knife tighter against her throat.
- He suddenly pulled a knife on me.
- He was slumped over his desk with a knife protruding from his back.
- He waved his knife in her face threateningly.
- She carries a knife in her bag now.
- She felt a knife slice her wrist open.
- She picked up her knife and fork and started to eat.
- She pointed her knife at Richard.
- She put the knife to his throat to frighten him into silence.
- She stabbed him in the back with a 12-inch knife.
- That knife doesn't cut very well—it needs sharpening.
- The lines can be cut with a craft knife.
- Use a sharp knife to cut away the spare dough.
- a set of kitchen knives
- A sharp carving knife is essential when carving any joint.
- Chuck drew his hunting knife from its sheath.
- Sara placed her knife and fork neatly on the plate.
- The raider threatened him with a 6-inch kitchen knife before escaping.
- a butter/steak knife
- (figurative) Each word he uttered was a knife in her heart.
Topics Cooking and eatinga2
Oxford Collocations Dictionary
adjective
- blunt
- dull
- sharp
- …
… of knives
- set
verb + knife
- pick up
- lay down
- put down
- …
knife + verb
- cut
- slice
- clatter
- …
knife + noun
- blade
- handle
- block
- …
preposition
- with a/the knife
phrases
- the blade of a knife
- the handle of a knife
- go under the surgeon’s knife
- …
See full entry
More Like This Silent letters
Silent letters
- gnarled
- gnash
- gnat
- gnaw
- gnome
- haute cuisine
- heir
- herb
- honour
- hors d’oeuvre
- hour
- knack
- knee
- kneel
- knife
- knight
- knit
- knob
- knock
- knot
- know
- knuckle
- psalm
- psephology
- psychic
- ptarmigan
- pterodactyl
- psychology
- wrangle
- wrap
- wreath
- wreck
- wrench
- wrestle
- wriggle
- wring
- write
- wrong
- bomb
- climb
- crumb
- doubt
- lamb
- limb
- ascent
- fascinate
- muscle
- scene
- scissors
- height
- right
- sleigh
- weight
- align
- campaign
- design
- foreign
- malign
- reign
- unfeigned
- balmy
- calm
- calf
- half
- yolk
- autumn
- column
- condemn
- damn
- hymn
- solemn
- bristle
- fasten
- listen
- mortgage
- soften
- thistle
- wrestle
- biscuit
- build
- circuit
- disguise
- guilty
- league
- rogue
- vague
- yacht
- answer
- sword
- two
Word Originlate Old English cnīf, from Old Norse knífr, of Germanic origin.

Idioms

the knives are out (for somebody)

the situation has become so bad that people are preparing to make one person take the blame, for example by taking away their job
- The knives are out for the chancellor.

like a knife through butter

(informal) easily; without meeting any difficulty

put/stick the knife in | put/stick the knife into somebody

(informal) to behave towards somebody in an unfriendly way and try to harm them

turn/twist the knife (in the wound)

to say or do something unkind deliberately; to make somebody who is unhappy feel even more unhappy
- Marcia laughed as she twisted the knife still deeper.
- Just to twist the knife, the filmmakers have provided a surprise ending.

under the knife

(informal) having a medical operation
- He is to go under the surgeon's knife again on Thursday.
Topics Medicinec1