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# knife

«knife» in Mova's school dictionary: **a tool with a sharp blade and a handle, used for cutting** — its meaning for a pupil, its sense in the lessons and examples, with 5 sentences of Mova's corpora that use it.

### part of speech

noun (a knife, knives); verb (knife — rare)

### meaning for a pupil

1) A knife is a tool with a sharp blade and a handle, used for cutting. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#m1)

2) Knives are used at the table for eating: knife and fork. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#m2)

3) To knife someone means to attack with a knife (rare, serious). [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#m3)

### sense in the lessons

In cooking and safety, carry a knife with the point down, cut on a board away from your fingers, never try to catch a falling knife, and use sharp kitchen knives only with an adult. Taking a knife to school is against the law and rules in the UK, US and elsewhere; tell an adult if someone has one. At the table, the knife goes on the right. Phrases: «knife and fork», «butter knife», «bread knife», «on a knife edge» (very uncertain).

### examples

- Use a knife and fork to eat your dinner. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x1)
- Cut the bread with a bread knife. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x2)
- Always cut away from your fingers. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x3)
- Carry a knife with the point facing down. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x4)
- Don't try to catch a falling knife. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x5)
- Put the knives in the drawer. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x6)
- The butter knife is not sharp. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x7)
- The score was on a knife edge. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x8)
- He took his knife and cut it open. [tree →](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/#x9)

### note

The k is silent: «nife». Plural: knives (f → ves). The knife goes to the right of the plate, the fork to the left. Do not confuse with «knight» (also silent k).

### In the corpora

- [A blue tang has a sharp spine like a little knife near its tail that it can flick out to defend itself.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/biology/133-finding-nemo-dory-turtles-and-the-reef/5/)
- [He takes his jack-knife home with him.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/books/74-justso-whale-throat/18/)
- [Silent letters often show how words were said long ago: the k in «knife» was once spoken.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/english/10-i-before-e-silent-letters-and-famous-traps/20/)
- ["Under the knife" means having surgery.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/5-drink-mind-and-body/14/)
- ["Not the sharpest knife in the drawer" means not very clever; it is a humorous phrase.](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/school/euphemisms/37-bats-and-gosh/12/)

### Trees and pragmatics

[Every meaning and example of «knife» parsed by Mova](https://md.mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/K/knife/), each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.