knife

knife — noun

1. a household tool made of a metal strip that is ground thin along one side and jo

1.nounA2
Definition

a household tool made of a metal strip that is ground thin along one side and joined to a handle; you hold the handle and push the blade through food or other materials to divide them, and someone can also use the same object to hurt another person in an attack.

Example

Diya picked up the kitchen knife and carefully sliced the carrots for the soup.

collocation: kitchen knife

The campers used a small knife to cut thin branches for their cooking fire.

knife + to cut [material] for [purpose]

Common collocations
  • kitchen knife
  • sharp knife
  • folding knife
  • cut with a knife
  • the edge of a knife
  • steak knife
  • butter knife
Synonyms
  • blade

    refers to the sharp metal part specifically, not the whole tool with a handle

  • cutter

    informal term for a tool designed to cut, often in compounds like 'wire cutter' or 'cutter knife'

Usage Note

Countable noun; always needs a determiner (a knife, the knife, my knife). The plural form is irregular: knives. Often appears in compound nouns naming specific types (kitchen knife, butter knife, pocket knife).

Common Mistakes

I cut the bread with knife.
I cut the bread with a knife.
'knife' is a countable noun and needs a determiner like 'a' or 'the'.
He sharpened the knifes.
He sharpened the knives.
the plural is 'knives', not 'knifes'.
Idioms

the knives are out (for somebody)

idiom

People are ready to blame or attack a specific person, often to make them lose their job.

After the project failed, the knives were out for the manager.

Why are the knives out for Sara? She did her best.

like a knife through butter

idiom

Something is done very easily and without any problems.

The new software cut through the data like a knife through butter.

Diego solved the puzzle like a knife through butter.

turn/twist the knife (in the wound)

idiom

To deliberately make someone who is already upset feel even worse.

He twisted the knife by reminding her of her failure.

Just to turn the knife, Aiden laughed at his mistake.

under the knife

idiom

Having a medical operation or surgery.

My grandmother went under the knife for her hip replacement.

Is Brian nervous about going under the knife tomorrow?

knife — verb