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Glite Dictionary
clasp knife

clasp knife

1 6.4
A large folding knife with blades that fold into the handle
  • noun
  • /klæsp naɪf/
  • Archaic
translation icon : cuchillo de bolsillo
  • He opened his clasp knife to slice some cheese for the picnic.
  • opened a clasp knife
  • took the clasp knife

Examples

  • He dropped the coins in his pocket and produced a long clasp knife.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I got up from my chair, took the clasp-knife from my pocket, and put it on the counter.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • I took the clasp knife to have it ready when the first man came in.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Use your clasp knife to prize open the screen.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He stopped to chip off a spiral shell with his clasp knife.

    Fiction book (1992)

  • He opened a clasp knife and sawed away at the ropes binding Jan.

    Fiction book (1995)

  • Shiftless and shoeless, he held an open long-blade, bone-handled clasp knife and peeled a red apple.

    Fiction book (1998)

  • Julie looked soft, fulfilled, as she munched black bread he'd sliced from the loaf with his clasp knife.

    Fiction book (1993)

  • I always carry a clasp knife in my backpack for camping trips.

  • The hiker used his clasp knife to cut a piece of rope.

Synonyms

knife
vsclasp knife
  • NSFW
∞ 1.0

A tool with a sharp blade and handle used for cutting or as a weapon

is a specific folding type rather than the general cutting tool
pocket knife
vsclasp knife
12 2.2

A small folding tool with a metal blade that fits into its handle and into a pocket

is a larger folding type rather than a small pocket model
pocketknife
vsclasp knife
9 3.4

A small folding knife that you carry in your pocket

is bigger in size and meant for heavier folding blade use
jackknife
vsclasp knife
  • US
1 7.6

A small folding knife with blades that fold into its handle

is the same in meaning but is a different traditional name
jack-knife
vsclasp knife
7.0

A large pocket knife with a blade that folds and locks

folds into the handle but may lack a locking device
Barlow knife
vsclasp knife
7.8

A small folding knife with a long oval handle and one strong blade

is larger and can have multiple blades folding into the handle

How Big

machete
63 5.7
clasp knife
  • Archaic
1 6.4
pocketknife
9 3.4
penknife
5 3.6

Surface Forms

clasp knife singular
clasp knives plural

Morphology

clasp + knife

The compound 'clasp knife' is partly transparent because 'clasp' (a fastening) plus 'knife' readily suggests 'a knife with a clasp' and a learner can infer a specific type of knife rather than an entirely unrelated meaning. However, the exact sense — a large folding knife with blades that fold into the handle (and details like multiple blades) — is not fully predictable from the constituents alone, so full comprehension may require prior exposure.

Etymology

Clasp knife gets its name from how the blade is held in the handle; the word clasp means 'to hold' or 'to fasten'. So the blade folds into the handle and is kept safe, which is why the name means a folding knife.