Meaning of "knife" in the English dictionary

ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD KNIFE

Old English cnīf; related to Old Norse knīfr, Middle Low German knīf.

Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.

PRONUNCIATION OF KNIFE

knife  [naɪf]

GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF KNIFE

Knife is a verb and can also act as a noun.

A noun is a type of word the meaning of which determines reality. Nouns provide the names for all things: people, objects, sensations, feelings, etc.

The verb is the part of the sentence that is conjugated and expresses action and state of being.

See the conjugation of the verb knife in English.

WHAT DOES KNIFE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Knife

A knife is a cutting tool with a cutting edge or blade, hand-held or otherwise, with or without a handle. Knife-like tools were used at least two-and-a-half million years ago, as evidenced by the Oldowan tools. Originally made of rock, bone, flint, and obsidian, knives have evolved in construction as technology has, with blades being made from bronze, copper, iron, steel, ceramics, and titanium. Many cultures have their unique version of the knife. Due to its role as humankind's first tool, certain cultures have attached spiritual and religious significance to the knife. Most modern-day knives follow either a fixed-blade or a folding construction style, with blade patterns and styles as varied as their makers and countries of origin. The word knife possibly descends from an old Norse word knifr for blade.

Definition of knife in the English dictionary

The first definition of knife in the dictionary is a cutting instrument consisting of a sharp-edged often pointed blade of metal fitted into a handle or onto a machine. Other definition of knife is a similar instrument used as a weapon. Knife is also to cut, stab, or kill with a knife.

CONJUGATION OF THE VERB TO KNIFE

PRESENT

Present

I knife

you knife

he/she/it knifes

we knife

you knife

they knife

Present continuous

I am knifing

you are knifing

he/she/it is knifing

we are knifing

you are knifing

they are knifing

Present perfect

I have knifed

you have knifed

he/she/it has knifed

we have knifed

you have knifed

they have knifed

Present perfect continuous

I have been knifing

you have been knifing

he/she/it has been knifing

we have been knifing

you have been knifing

they have been knifing

Present tense is used to refer to circumstances that exist at the present time or over a period that includes the present time. The present perfect refers to past events, although it can be considered to denote primarily the resulting present situation rather than the events themselves.

PAST

Past

I knifed

you knifed

he/she/it knifed

we knifed

you knifed

they knifed

Past continuous

I was knifing

you were knifing

he/she/it was knifing

we were knifing

you were knifing

they were knifing

Past perfect

I had knifed

you had knifed

he/she/it had knifed

we had knifed

you had knifed

they had knifed

Past perfect continuous

I had been knifing

you had been knifing

he/she/it had been knifing

we had been knifing

you had been knifing

they had been knifing

Past tense forms express circumstances existing at some time in the past,

FUTURE

Future

I will knife

you will knife

he/she/it will knife

we will knife

you will knife

they will knife

Future continuous

I will be knifing

you will be knifing

he/she/it will be knifing

we will be knifing

you will be knifing

they will be knifing

Future perfect

I will have knifed

you will have knifed

he/she/it will have knifed

we will have knifed

you will have knifed

they will have knifed

Future perfect continuous

I will have been knifing

you will have been knifing

he/she/it will have been knifing

we will have been knifing

you will have been knifing

they will have been knifing

The future is used to express circumstances that will occur at a later time.

CONDITIONAL

Conditional

I would knife

you would knife

he/she/it would knife

we would knife

you would knife

they would knife

Conditional continuous

I would be knifing

you would be knifing

he/she/it would be knifing

we would be knifing

you would be knifing

they would be knifing

Conditional perfect

I would have knife

you would have knife

he/she/it would have knife

we would have knife

you would have knife

they would have knife

Conditional perfect continuous

I would have been knifing

you would have been knifing

he/she/it would have been knifing

we would have been knifing

you would have been knifing

they would have been knifing

Conditional or "future-in-the-past" tense refers to hypothetical or possible actions.

IMPERATIVE

Imperative

you knife
we let´s knife
you knife

The imperative is used to form commands or requests.

NONFINITE VERB FORMS

Infinitive

to knife

Past participle

knifed

Present Participle

knifing

Infinitive shows the action beyond temporal perspective. The present participle or gerund shows the action during the session. The past participle shows the action after completion.

SYNONYMS OF «KNIFE»

The following words have a similar or identical meaning as «knife» and belong to the same grammatical category.

synonyms of knife

bayonet · blade · carver · cut · cutter · gore · impale · jab · lacerate · pierce · slash · spear · stab · thrust · wound

TRANSLATION OF KNIFE

Find out the translation of knife to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.

The translations of knife from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «knife» in English.

• Translator English - Chinese: 刀
• Translator English - Spanish: cuchillo
• English: knife
• Translator English - Hindi: चाकू
• Translator English - Arabic: سِكِّينَةٌ
• Translator English - Russian: нож
• Translator English - Portuguese: faca
• Translator English - Bengali: ছুরি
• Translator English - French: couteau
• Translator English - Malay: pisau
• Translator English - German: Messer
• Translator English - Japanese: ナイフ
• Translator English - Korean: 칼
• Translator English - Javanese: Piso
• Translator English - Vietnamese: dao
• Translator English - Tamil: கத்தி
• Translator English - Marathi: सुरी
• Translator English - Turkish: bıçak
• Translator English - Italian: coltello
• Translator English - Polish: nóż
• Translator English - Ukrainian: ніж
• Translator English - Romanian: cuțit
• Translator English - Greek: μαχαίρι
• Translator English - Afrikaans: mes
• Translator English - Swedish: kniv
• Translator English - Norwegian: kniv

10 QUOTES WITH «KNIFE»

Famous quotes and sentences with the word knife.

1

Criss Angel

I think if you would have cut Houdini with a knife, blood wouldn't come out, PR would.

2

Letitia Baldrige

There are major C.E.O.'s who do not know how to hold a knife and fork properly, but I don't worry about that as much as the lack of kindness.

3

Mario Batali

As they say in Italy, Italians were eating with a knife and fork when the French were still eating each other. The Medici family had to bring their Tuscan cooks up there so they could make something edible.

4

Heston Blumenthal

I write and chop with my left hand and do everything else, including eating with a knife, with my right.

5

Henry Bonilla

I can recall back in 1998, in August of that year, when we had a horrible disaster along the Mexican border in the town of Del Rio. At the time, FEMA was the shining star of the federal government. It's now perceived as many to be the dullest knife in the drawer. Right or wrong, that's the perception.

6

Brandon Boyd

There are many ways to experience love. It can feel like a knife in your back, or it can feel like you're being lifted up by winged creatures towards a beautiful blinding light.

7

Louise Brooks

I have a gift for enraging people, but if I ever bore you it will be with a knife.

8

Steven Brust

No matter how subtle the wizard, a knife between the shoulder blades will cramp his style.

9

Pat Burns

Coaching the Bruins is like going bear hunting with a butter knife.

10

Charles Buxton

The rule in carving holds good as to criticism; never cut with a knife what you can cut with a spoon.

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «KNIFE»

Discover the use of knife in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to knife and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.

The Way of the Knife: The CIA, a Secret Army, and a War at ...

This new approach—carried out by CIA operatives and special operations troops—has been embraced by Washington as a lower-risk and cost effective alternative to the messy wars of occupation, but as Mazzetti demonstrates in this revealing ...

Mark Mazzetti, 2013

Knife

The humans had put her in a box, and now they had come to torment her... Don't read this book if you're expecting fairy dust - the last thing Knife is likely to wield is a magic wand.

R J Anderson, 2010

Knives 2012: The World's Greatest Knife Book

The ever-evolving, magical world of custom knives, knifemaking techniques and embellishments is captured in full, glorious color between the covers of the most coveted book on edged masterpieces-- Knives 2012.

Joe Kertzman, 2011

The Blinding Knife: Book 2 of Lightbringer

Gavin Guile is dying.

Brent Weeks, 2012

Knife Throwing: A Practical Guide

The art and science of knife throwing are introduced in this discussion of selecting, throwing, and caring for knives and tomahawks

Harry K. McEvoy, 1973

Tactical Folding Knife: A Study of the Anatomy and ...

Tactical knives are the hottest thing on the cutlery market right now. This book shows the knife hobbyist, step by step, how to make his or her own custom tactical folding knife. 200 photos.

Bob Terzuola, 2000

Chaos Walking 1. The Knife of Never Letting Go

Imagine you can hear everything the town of men say about you.

Patrick Ness, 2013

The Knife

Student volunteer Laurie Masters stumbles onto a ghastly secert at Shadyside Hospital--a secret that the nurses and doctors are willing to kill to cover up.

R. L. Stine, 1991

A Story as Sharp as a Knife: The Classical Haida Mythtellers ...

It belongs where Bringhurst sees it: among the great traditions of the world. Bringhurst, an acclaimed typographer and book designer, will be redesigning this edition in a beautiful new package.

Robert Bringhurst, 2011

Silent knife: cesarean prevention and vaginal birth after ...

"The bible of cesarean prevention." Wall Street Journal "Required reading for all childbirth professionals and prospective parents." Journal of Gynecological Nursing

Nancy Wainer Cohen, Lois J. Estner, 1983

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «KNIFE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term knife is used in the context of the following news items.

Sussex stabbing: Police carry out tests on knife and car believed to …

Police are carrying out tests on a knife and car believed to have been used in the murder of a great-grandfather who was stabbed to death in a ... «The Independent, Jul 15»

Dangerous knife attacker jailed for nine years | North Devon Journal

A DANGEROUS knifeman has been jailed for nine years for stabbing a man through the hand as he raised it to prevent him plunging his knife ... «North Devon Journal, Jul 15»

U.K. Criminalizes Knife Possession; Result? Knife Violence Increases

It's against the law to carry a knife in England. As you would expect, knife crime is going up. “Police recorded 26,370 offences in 2014/15, ... «The New American, Jul 15»

Knife maker's interest sparked as a child by kung fu - Goshen News …

SAM HOUSEHOLDER | THE GOSHEN NEWSRick Barrett grinds a knife blade in his workshop Friday. Barrett makes custom folding knives out ... «Goshen News, Jul 15»

Intruder Wielding Large Knife Wakes Victim And Demands That He …

A man sleeping in his home located in Cadillac, Michigan, was awakened by a knife-wielding intruder around 2:40 a.m. Wednesday. However ... «The Inquisitr, Jul 15»

Modesto Police in Standoff with Woman Wielding a Knife | FOX40

The woman is sitting outside with a knife on the lawn. The southbound lanes of Clause road going towards Briggsmore Ave. have been closed ... «FOX40, Jul 15»

Man killed by Fort Collins police during knife attack | Albuquerque …

Man killed by Fort Collins police during knife attack. Around the Region. By Associated Press PUBLISHED: Saturday, July 18, 2015 at 10:48 am. «Albuquerque Journal, Jul 15»

Findon road rage: Knife and car found by detectives investigating …

Police in West Sussex have recovered a knife and a car whilst investigating the alleged 'road rage' murder of 79-year-old Donald Lock near ... «International Business Times UK, Jul 15»

Ashes 2015: Australia twist the knife to leave England facing heavy …

Australia took a giant stride towards levelling the Ashes series against England after building a handsome 362-run lead on day three of the ... «International Business Times UK, Jul 15»

Video: Knife-wielding man shot by Wash. officer - PoliceOne

SEATTLE — Police are investigating an officer-involved shooting at Ravenna Avenue Northeast and Northeast 65th Street that left a man dead. The shooting ... «Police News, Jul 15»