different between knife vs penknife

English

Alternative forms

• (noun): knyfe (obsolete)
  • (plural): knifes (nonstandard)
• (verb): knive (uncommon)

Etymology

From Middle English knyf, knif, from late Old English cn?f, from Old Norse knífr (compare Danish/Swedish/Norwegian kniv), North Frisian Knif from Proto-Germanic *kn?baz (compare Low German Knief, Luxembourgish Knäip (“penknife”)), from *kn?pan? (“to pinch”) (compare Dutch knijpen, Low German kniepen, Old High German gniffen), from Proto-Indo-European *gneyb?- (compare Lithuanian gnýbti, žnýbti (“to pinch”), gnaibis (“pinching”)). Replaced Middle English sax (“knife”) from Old English seax (“knife, dagger”), and replaced Middle English coutel, qwetyll (“knife”) from Old French coutel (“knife”).

The verb knife is attested since the mid 1800s; the variant knive is attested since 1733.

Pronunciation

• enPR: n?f, IPA^(key): /na?f/
• Rhymes: -a?f

Noun

knife (plural knives)

1. 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.
   • 2007, Scott Smith, The Ruins, page 273

     Jeff was bent low over the backboard, working with the knife, a steady sawing motion, his shirt soaked through with sweat.

2. A weapon designed with the aforementioned specifications intended for slashing and/or stabbing and too short to be called a sword. A dagger.
3. Any blade-like part in a tool or a machine designed for cutting, such as that of a chipper.

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Portuguese: naifa
• Sranan Tongo: nefi

Translations

See also

• athame
• bayonet
• bistoury
• cake slice, cake-slice
• dagger
• poniard
• scalpel
• stiletto
• knife on Wikipedia.Wikipedia

Verb

knife (third-person singular simple present knifes, present participle knifing, simple past and past participle knifed)

1. (transitive) To cut with a knife.
2. (transitive) To use a knife to injure or kill by stabbing, slashing, or otherwise using the sharp edge of the knife as a weapon.
3. (intransitive) To cut through as if with a knife.
4. (transitive) To betray, especially in the context of a political slate.
5. (transitive) To positively ignore, especially in order to denigrate. compare cut

Translations

References

Anagrams

• Finke

Middle English

Noun

knife

1. Alternative form of knyf

English

Etymology

From Middle English penne knyfe; equivalent to pen +? knife

Noun

penknife (plural penknives)

1. Originally a small utility knife for cutting the points of quill feathers or reeds into nibs to provide or repair writing implements in times before pens with artificial nibs, generally metal, became commercially available in the 19th century. Early versions of penknives commonly were small sheath knives.
2. A small knife designed for safe and convenient storage, typically in the form of a miniature clasp knife, or with blade retractable into the handle. For the most part, such more convenient designs eventually replaced rigid pen knives in cutting quill pens or sharpening pencils.
3. As the need to cut nibs for pens fell away, but small utility pocket-knives remained popular, "penknife" became synonymous with "pocket-knife". Modern penknives often incorporate other tools such as corkscrews, but as a rule are smaller than general-purpose pocketknives.

See also

• clasp knife
• jackknife
• pocketknife
• Swiss Army knife

Translations

Middle English

Noun

penknife

1. Alternative form of penne knyfe