knife edge
1
3.9
- noun
- /naɪf ɛdʒ/
- To achieve precise cuts, it's important to use a knife that has a well-maintained knife edge.
Examples
-
The process of rubbing the knife edge into the abradable surface during both steady-state and transient operation will produce a groove in the abradable material and establish both a minimum radial and axial running clearance.
Academic text (1995) -
The chef expertly sliced through the vegetables using the knife edge of his favorite blade.
-
She carefully honed the knife edge to ensure it was sharp enough for the delicate cuts.
Synonyms
357
1.0
The flat sharp part of a knife or sword that cuts
4
4.7
A very sharp cutting edge like a knife blade
4
1.0
The flat sharp part of a knife used for cutting
2
3.6
The sharp side of a blade that slices food or other things
How Sharp
Surface Forms
Morphology
The meaning 'the sharp cutting side of the blade' is directly and compositionally derived from 'knife' (a cutting tool) + 'edge' (the boundary/cutting side), forming a part–whole noun phrase. This is a regular and cross-linguistically common compound pattern, so a B1 learner who knows both constituents will readily infer the meaning.
Etymology
Knife edge comes from the thin, very sharp part of a knife, the edge where the two flat sides meet, so it means the 'sharp cutting side of the blade'.