knife

English

/naɪf/

noun
Definitions
  • 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.
  • A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing and/or stabbing and 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.

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English knyf inherited from Old English cnīf (knife) derived from Old Norse knífr (knife) derived from Proto-Germanic *knībaz (knife) derived from Proto-Indo-European *gneybʰ- (pinch).

Origin

Proto-Indo-European

*gneybʰ-

Gloss

pinch

Concept
Semantic Field

Sense perception

Ontological Category

Action/Process

Emoji
🤌

Timeline

Distribution of cognates by language

Geogrpahic distribution of cognates

Cognates and derived terms