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to knife

to knife

2 5.5
To cut food or other things with a sharp blade
  • verb
  • /naɪf/
  • NSFW
translation icon : cortar
  • And yeah, I just felt the urge to cut it up into small pieces using a knife because satisfying.

Examples

  • All you have to do is take your knife and then just simply cut an X.

  • We might have to like heat up a knife and cut them off.

  • I knifed a steak and flipped it.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • He army-knifes an orange in a zigzag design... there, a flower, presenting one pretty half to her.

    Fiction book (1991)
  • You need to knife the vegetables before adding them to the stir-fry.

  • He will knife the package open to see what is inside.

  • The chef skillfully knifed the meat into thin slices for the dish.

Synonyms

to chop
vsto knife
193 1.0

To cut something into pieces using a sharp tool like a knife or axe

is broader, including slicing and stabbing rather than only heavy blows
to cut up
vsto knife
62 4.1

Cause serious harm to people or things with a sharp object

describes neutral cutting or slicing without intending severe harm
to chop up
vsto knife
56 1.9

To cut something into smaller pieces by sharp blows again and again with a knife or axe

focuses on single cuts, slices, or stabbing rather than many blows
to slash
vsto knife
53 3.0

To cut forcefully with a knife or sharp tool

is for general cutting, slicing, or stabbing without extreme force
to knife up
vsto knife
1 6.0

To cut food into pieces with a knife

is used to cut, slice, or stab in many situations not just food

Antonyms

11 2.9

The place where two things meet and are fixed together

Idioms

A situation that could easily end well or badly

Be badly prepared for a situation where others have much better tools

1 9.4

Say or do something on purpose to hurt someone who is already in trouble

1 8.9

A hurtful comment or action that makes someone feel worse after bad news

It happens very quickly

Fails to make a strong point because it is dull and weak

hurt your knife
  • Informal
9.9

A mocking question you ask after someone betrays you to show anger

Not very quick to understand things

Phrasal Verbs

1 6.0

To cut food into pieces with a knife

Compounds

15 1.4

A small sharp knife with a serrated or straight edge used to cut cooked meat at the table

13 3.2

A large sharp knife used for cutting meat

12 2.2

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

10 2.8

A large sharp knife used by hunters to cut meat and skin animals

9 7.4

A violent attack between people using knives to hurt each other

7 1.0

A small dull tool with a rounded blade for spreading butter

A small folding tool with blades and screwdrivers that people use to mean a person with many skills

A large sharp knife used to slice cooked meat

5 3.2

A small sharp knife for peeling and trimming fruit and vegetables

3 1.7

A long knife with a saw-like edge used for cutting bread

3 1.0

The flat sharp part of a knife used for cutting

2 7.7

A large hunting knife with a wide blade and a guard between blade and handle

1 5.3

A flat tool with a thin blade used to spread or scrape soft material like putty

1 1.5

A small tool with a thin blade for cutting cheese

A thin flat tool artists use to mix and spread oil paint on a palette or canvas

A small folding knife that opens by itself when a button is pressed

1 1.0

A blunt tool used to cut and spread food at the table

1 4.5

A small table knife with a wide flat blade used for eating fish

A person who throws knives at targets as part of a show

A small knife with a short stiff blade and curved point for cutting linoleum

1 4.4

A small sharp knife for opening envelopes or cutting closed book pages

clasp knife
  • Archaic
1 6.4

A large folding knife with blades that fold into the handle

A large heavy knife for chopping meat and vegetables

1 4.6

A crime where someone uses a knife to hurt or kill another person

1 7.5

A strong stab with a knife into someone's body

trench knife
  • Archaic
1 9.0

A knife with two sharp edges made for close fighting in trenches

1 5.1

A knife with a fixed blade that you carry in a protective cover

bolo knife
  • Philippine
7.9

A long heavy tool with one sharp edge used for cutting plants and wood

A small knife with a fixed blade carried in a sheath

A knife with a rounded end used for spreading butter and eating soft foods

4.9

A large heavy knife with a wide blade for cutting meat and vegetables

A tropical bean plant with red flowers that grows black beans with white spots you can eat

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

8.1

A small folding knife whose blade opens quickly when you press a button

8.1

A small folding knife with a blade that opens quickly when you press a button

The sharp side of a knife that cuts things

knife pleat
  • Specialized
6.3

A narrow fold in cloth pressed flat in one direction, often used in skirts

A very unstable situation that can quickly become much worse or better after a small change

A small sea clam with a long narrow curved shell like the handle of a knife

A small sharp tool gardeners use to cut plants and roots

hobby knife
  • Specialized
3.8

A small sharp tool with a replaceable blade that you use in crafts for precise cutting

A large pocket knife with a blade that folds and locks

A small tool with a curved blade for cutting and trimming plants

surgical knife
  • Specialized
3.8

A very sharp knife a doctor uses in an operation to cut parts of the body

How Forceful

to cleave
8 8.0
to chop
193 1.0
to knife
  • NSFW
2 5.5
cut
1.0
to slice
203 1.0

Surface Forms

knife infinitive
knifed past
knifed past participle
knifing present participle
knives third person singular

Etymology

Knife meaning 'to cut or slice' comes from the noun knife, because people cut food and objects with a blade. So to 'knife' a roast is to cut it into thin pieces with quick cuts.