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Meaning of "penknife" in the English dictionary

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DICTIONARY
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ETYMOLOGY OF THE WORD PENKNIFE

So called because it was originally used for making and repairing quill pens.
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Etymology is the study of the origin of words and their changes in structure and significance.
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PRONUNCIATION OF PENKNIFE

penknife  [ˈpɛnˌnaɪf] play
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GRAMMATICAL CATEGORY OF PENKNIFE

noun
adjective
verb
adverb
pronoun
preposition
conjunction
determiner
exclamation
Penknife is 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.

WHAT DOES PENKNIFE MEAN IN ENGLISH?

Penknife

A penknife, or pen knife, is a small folding pocket knife, originally used for cutting or sharpening a quill to make a pen nib. Originally, penknives did not necessarily have folding blades, but resembled a scalpel or wood knife by having a short, fixed blade at the end of a long handle. These knives were used for thinning and pointing quills to prepare them for use as writing instruments and, later, for repairing or re-pointing the quills. They may also be used to whittle wood. Modern penknives may have single or multiple blades and additional tools incorporated into the design. Over the last hundred years, there has been a proliferation of multi-function knives with multifarious blades and often gadgets including awls, reamers, scissors, nail files, corkscrews, tweezers, toothpicks, and so on, and the tradition continues with the incorporation of modern devices such as ballpoint pens, LED flashlights, and USB flash drives. The most famous example of a multi-function knife is the Swiss Army knife, some versions of which number dozens of functions and are really more of a folding multi-tool, incorporating a blade or two, than a penknife with extras.

Definition of penknife in the English dictionary

The definition of penknife in the dictionary is a small knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle; pocketknife.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH PENKNIFE


breadknife
ˈbrednaɪf
drawknife
ˈdrɔːˌnaɪf
fife
faɪf
housewife
ˈhaʊsˌwaɪf
jackknife
ˈdʒækˌnaɪf
kaif
kaɪf
knife
naɪf
life
laɪf
long-life
ˈlɒŋlaɪf
midwife
ˈmɪdˌwaɪf
nife
naɪf
nightlife
ˈnaɪtˌlaɪf
paperknife
ˈpeɪpəˌnaɪf
pocketknife
ˈpɒkɪtˌnaɪf
real-life
ˌriːlˈlaɪf
still-life
stɪl laɪf
strife
straɪf
wife
waɪf
wildlife
ˈwaɪldˌlaɪf
Yellowknife
ˈjɛləʊˌnaɪf

WORDS THAT BEGIN LIKE PENKNIFE

penistone
penitence
penitency
penitent
penitential
penitentially
penitentiaries
penitentiary
penitently
Penki
penknives
penlight
penman
penmanship
penmen
Penn
Penn.
penn´orth
penna
pennaceous

WORDS THAT END LIKE PENKNIFE

bowie knife
butter knife
carving knife
case knife
clasp knife
combat knife
craft knife
dinner knife
fish knife
fruit knife
gamma knife
hunting knife
palette knife
putty knife
sheath knife
Stanley knife
steak knife
Swiss Army knife
trench knife
twist the knife
under the knife

Synonyms and antonyms of penknife in the English dictionary of synonyms

SYNONYMS

Translation of «penknife» into 25 languages

TRANSLATOR
online translator

TRANSLATION OF PENKNIFE

Find out the translation of penknife to 25 languages with our English multilingual translator.
The translations of penknife from English to other languages presented in this section have been obtained through automatic statistical translation; where the essential translation unit is the word «penknife» in English.

Translator English - Chinese

小刀
1,325 millions of speakers

Translator English - Spanish

navaja
570 millions of speakers

English

penknife
510 millions of speakers

Translator English - Hindi

क़लमतराश
380 millions of speakers
ar

Translator English - Arabic

مِطْوَاةٌ
280 millions of speakers

Translator English - Russian

перочинный нож
278 millions of speakers

Translator English - Portuguese

canivete
270 millions of speakers

Translator English - Bengali

ক্ষুদ্র পকেট ছুরি
260 millions of speakers

Translator English - French

canif
220 millions of speakers

Translator English - Malay

Penknife
190 millions of speakers

Translator English - German

Taschenmesser
180 millions of speakers

Translator English - Japanese

ペンナイフ
130 millions of speakers

Translator English - Korean

펜나이프
85 millions of speakers

Translator English - Javanese

Penknife
85 millions of speakers
vi

Translator English - Vietnamese

dao nhíp
80 millions of speakers

Translator English - Tamil

penknife
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Marathi

पेंकोफेनेस
75 millions of speakers

Translator English - Turkish

çakı
70 millions of speakers

Translator English - Italian

temperino
65 millions of speakers

Translator English - Polish

scyzoryk
50 millions of speakers

Translator English - Ukrainian

складаний ніж
40 millions of speakers

Translator English - Romanian

briceag
30 millions of speakers
el

Translator English - Greek

σουγιάς
15 millions of speakers
af

Translator English - Afrikaans

mes
14 millions of speakers
sv

Translator English - Swedish

fickkniv
10 millions of speakers
no

Translator English - Norwegian

lommekniv
5 millions of speakers

Trends of use of penknife

TRENDS

TENDENCIES OF USE OF THE TERM «PENKNIFE»

The term «penknife» is regularly used and occupies the 62.994 position in our list of most widely used terms in the English dictionary.
0
100%
FREQUENCY
Regularly used
71
/100
The map shown above gives the frequency of use of the term «penknife» in the different countries.
Principal search tendencies and common uses of penknife
List of principal searches undertaken by users to access our English online dictionary and most widely used expressions with the word «penknife».

FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «PENKNIFE» OVER TIME

The graph expresses the annual evolution of the frequency of use of the word «penknife» during the past 500 years. Its implementation is based on analysing how often the term «penknife» appears in digitalised printed sources in English between the year 1500 and the present day.

Examples of use in the English literature, quotes and news about penknife

EXAMPLES

10 ENGLISH BOOKS RELATING TO «PENKNIFE»

Discover the use of penknife in the following bibliographical selection. Books relating to penknife and brief extracts from same to provide context of its use in English literature.
1
Best of the 2006 Penknife Press Short Story Writing Contest ...
These stories are the best of the 2006 Penknife Press short story writing contest entries. The authors come from around the world, and the subject matter of the stories is as varied as the authors.
L. C. Redmond, 2007
2
A Penknife in My Heart
First published in 1958, A Penknife in My Heart tells the story of how two men - total strangers - establish the perfect alibis by arranging to switch victims.
Nicholas Blake, 2012
3
Penknives and Other Folding Knives
Mid eighteenth-century folding penknife haft, scaled with jigged bone and with a bone spike for splitting quills. Early seventeenth-century rigid-bladed penknife with bone haft and spike. 'Gadgetised' pocket knives, including one with a set of ...
Simon Moore, 1988
4
A Treasury of Sholom Aleichem Children's Stories
C “Come here, you little brat!” my father said to me in the morning. “Have you seen a penknife anywhere?” At first I was terrified. I was positive he knew, that they all knew. I came ever so close to blurting out, “What? A penknife? Here it is!
‎1996
5
History, Directory & Gazetteer, of the County of York: With ...
Ship, Water In. Priest Joseph, penknife manufacturer, 2T, Bright street Priest Jph. penknife mfr. 55, Gaol st. Priest John, 94, Eyre lane Priestley Séptimas, cow keeper, Hop yard, near Clougfa Wheel Primrose Daniel, ivory cutter and furniture  ...
Edward Baines, 1822
6
Basic Penknife Carving With Tom Wolfe
Tom Wolfe goes back to basics.
Tom James Wolfe, 1993
7
A complete collection of state-trials, and proceedings for ...
SAith, That when my Lord came to Captain Hawley'j, which was the nth Instant, my Lord of Essex asked him for a Penknife to pare his Nails, as he was wont to do ; which this Informant answered, Being come in haste, he had not brought it • but ...
Thomas Salmon, Sollom Emlyn, 1730
8
The Shape of the Signifier: 1967 to the End of History
In the appropriation of the end of Huckleberry Finn that concludes Empire of the Senseless, the boys debate whether to smuggle a pen or a penknife to Abhor for her to use in her escape. Mark wants Abhor to use the penknife to cut off her leg,  ...
Walter Benn Michaels, 2006
9
Modern Magic Manual
Two oranges, two half dollars, a plate, a table knife, a napkin, and a penknife. Preparation. Make a bold mark, a cross for example, on one of the coins with the penknife and make an exact duplication of this mark on the other coin. Cut a slit ...
Jean Hugard, 1957
10
The Works of the Rev. Jonathan Swift...
Guiscard immediately drew a penknife out of his pocket, which, he had picked out of some of the offices, and reaching round, stabbed him just under the breast, a little to the right side ; but it pleased God that the point stopped at one of the ribs,  ...
Jonathan Swift, Thomas Sheridan, John Nichols, 1813

10 NEWS ITEMS WHICH INCLUDE THE TERM «PENKNIFE»

Find out what the national and international press are talking about and how the term penknife is used in the context of the following news items.
1
Taking to the fields again: Tompkins veterans find farming a pathway …
... veteran plucks a perfect looking red globe from a tree groaning under the weight of fruit and slices it open with a Swiss Army penknife. «The Ithaca Voice, Jul 15»
2
50-year-old Yarmouth murder still troubles locals
He did admit to stabbing Haskins with a short penknife, but denied killing her. Comeau was sentenced to death, however the death penalty was ... «CBC.ca, Jul 15»
3
Cops detain 4, seize Japanese sword and Rambo knife
He said a penknife, a samurai sword, Rambo knife, parang, truncheon, metal rod, gloves, drugs, keys, a bag of clothes, registration numbers ... «The Malaysian Insider, Jul 15»
4
Police Detain Four Men, Seize Katana And Rambo Knife
He said a penknife, a samurai sword, Rambo knife, parang, truncheon, metal rod, gloves, drugs, keys, a bag of clothes, registration numbers ... «malaysiandigest.com, Jul 15»
5
Drunken man armed with knife jailed after terrifying family by …
His mother took the penknife off him, but he then took a cutlery knife around to his neighbour, who was having an early evening meal with his ... «Leicester Mercury, Jul 15»
6
It is time for Dechaine's champions to lay case to rest
His papers were found at the last place Sarah had been seen alive, and the penknife he kept on his keychain had vanished. Circumstantial ... «Kennebec Journal & Morning Sentinel, Jul 15»
7
A new red blur slides into the 911's slipstream
It is quite simply like the perfect, most lethal penknife that you can imagine, carving through corners with incredible efficiency. The steering too ... «Hindu Business Line, Jul 15»
8
CRIME IN OLD ROTHERHAM: A savage attack - and revenge
Intent on injuring the man she followed him out, before stabbing him in the neck with a penknife. Dr Cobban gave evidence to the magistrates ... «Rotherham Advertiser, Jul 15»
9
Prostitute jailed for breaching peace, accomplice acquitted of kn...
As soon Owen complied, however, Fenech grabbed him and threatened him with a penknife before proceeding to rob him. Inspector Carlos ... «MaltaToday, Jul 15»
10
WWE Battleground: 22 Things You Might Have Missed
into their computer screens with a penknife) a few of the smaller, stranger moments might have escaped your attention. Let's rectify this. Next ... «WhatCulture, Jul 15»

REFERENCE
« EDUCALINGO. Penknife [online]. Available <https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/penknife>. May 2024 ».
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