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to knife

to knife

2 7.4
To move quickly and smoothly through water or snow
  • verb
  • /naɪf/
translation icon : abrirse paso
  • The athlete knifed through the water during the swimming competition.
  • knife his way
  • knife through the water
  • knife the air

Examples

  • Then light knifed down into one of his eyes, and all his pains awoke at once.

    Fiction book (2002)
  • Icy cold knifed into me.

    Fiction book (1994)
  • it can knife its way through steel and concrete.

  • It was a damp night, winter beginning to knife its way in.

    Fiction book (1998)
  • A gust of air from the door being opened and closed knifed through the room.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • The icy air knifed through the old kitchen windows.

    Fiction book (1999)
  • A windsurfer knifed through the water.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • Headlights suddenly knifed through the dark, sending Rachel a step back into the shadows.

    Fiction book (2001)
  • The light was terrific, knifing at Burns, and he squinted behind his sunglasses.

    Fiction book (1992)
  • The race car knifed sharply around the corner, maintaining its speed.

Synonyms

to cut
vsto knife
  • Informal
343 2.8

To move quickly in a new direction, often to take a shortcut

focuses on smooth sliding motion not abrupt shortcuts or turns
to cut through
vsto knife
51 3.0

To go straight across a place, for example through land or a crowd

is smoother motion not about breaking or forcing a way
to slice through
vsto knife
10 4.1

Cut or move quickly and smoothly through air and water

is about smooth flowing motion rather than focusing on the edge
to slice into
vsto knife
3 4.2

Move a sharp object into something to cut it

stresses smooth passage rather than focusing on entry action
to lance
vsto knife
1 6.4

Move forward quickly and forcefully as if cutting through the air

is smoother and less about strong impact

Antonyms

1.0

To make something end and not continue

318 2.5

To pause before saying or doing something because you feel unsure

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 Smooth

to glide
89 2.9
to slip through
  • Informal
58 4.2
to knife
2 7.4

Surface Forms

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

Etymology

Knife meaning 'to move quickly and smoothly through something' comes from the picture of a blade cutting its way forward. That's why a boat or skier that 'knifes' through water or snow seems to slice through it like a sharp blade.