- knife
- noun1 tool for cuttingADJECTIVE▪ blunt, dull (esp. AmE)▪ sharp▪ serrated▪ long▪ small▪ four-inch, six-inch, etc.▪ rusty▪ electric▪ plastic, silver, steel▪ kitchen, table▪ bread, butter, fish, steak▪ butcher (esp. AmE), butcher's (esp. BrE), chef's▪ carving, paring (esp. AmE)▪ pocket, Swiss army™▪ bowie (esp. AmE), hunting, sheath (esp. BrE)▪ butterfly, flick (BrE)▪ Stanley™ (BrE), utility (AmE)▪ craft (BrE), X-acto™ (AmE)▪ palette▪ putty (AmE)… OF KNIVES▪ set▪
a set of kitchen knives
VERB + KNIFE▪ pick up▪She picked up her knife and fork and started to eat.
▪ lay down, put down▪ use▪Use a sharp knife to cut away the spare dough.
▪ sharpen▪ holdKNIFE + VERB▪ cut, slice▪That knife doesn't cut very well—it needs sharpening.
▪ clatterKNIFE + NOUN▪ blade, handle▪ block, holder▪ sharpenerPREPOSITION▪ with a/the knife▪The lines can be cut with a craft knife.
PHRASES▪ the blade of a knife, the handle of a knife▪ go under the surgeon's knife (esp. BrE)▪He is to go under the surgeon's knife (= have surgery) again on Thursday.
▪ a knife and fork2 used as a weaponADJECTIVE▪ long, sharp▪ combat (esp. AmE)VERB + KNIFE▪ be armed with, carry, have▪She carries a knife in her bag now.
▪ brandish, point, wave, wield▪She pointed her knife at Richard.
▪He waved his knife in her face threateningly.
▪ draw, draw out, produce, pull, pull out, take out, whip out▪He suddenly pulled a knife on me.
▪She suddenly produced a knife from her pocket and started brandishing it.
▪ come at sb with, stab sb with, threaten sb with▪She stabbed him in the back with a 12-inch knife.
▪ plunge, press, push, put, stick, thrust, twist (often figurative)▪He plunged the knife deep into her heart.
▪He pressed the knife tighter against her throat.
▪Just to twist the knife (= cause additional suffering, tension, etc.), the filmmakers have provided a surprise ending.
▪ sharpen, whetKNIFE + VERB▪ cut sth, pierce sth, slash sth, slice sth, slice through sth▪She cried out in pain as the knife slashed her arm.
▪She felt a knife slice her wrist open.
▪ protrude▪He was slumped over his desk with a knife protruding from his back.
KNIFE + NOUN▪ attack, fight▪a frenzied knife attack
▪He and his gang had a knife fight one night.
▪ cut, wound▪ bladePREPOSITION▪ with a/the knifePHRASES▪ the blade of a knife, the hilt of a knife▪ hold a knife against sb's throat, hold a knife at sb's throat, hold a knife to sb's throat, put a knife to sb's throat▪She put the knife to his throat to frighten him into silence.
▪ a knife in sb's heart (figurative)▪Each word he uttered was a knife in her heart.
Collocations dictionary. 2013.
