penknife
5
3.6
- noun
- /ˈpɛnˌnaɪf/
:
navaja
- Jason's beloved little penknife lay there, all polished and shiny.
- a small penknife
- penknife in my pocket
- penknife blade
Examples
-
She carefully cut the string with her penknife.
-
Olga sharpened the pencil with Alois's penknife under Isabella's careful eye.
Fiction book (1999) -
Can I keep my penknife, though?
-
Here, I got a penknife, though.
-
I wanted to give him my penknife.
-
Then he handed a small penknife to the boy.
Fiction book (1998) -
Roy, bring me that penknife.
-
Edie had dug around in her pocket and pulled out her penknife.
Fiction book (2002) -
Julian took out his penknife to sharpen a pen, then looked at it thoughtfully.
Fiction book (1993) -
Ada took out her new journal and whittled one of the charcoal pencils to a point with her penknife.
Fiction book (1997)
Synonyms
∞
1.0
A tool with a sharp blade and handle used for cutting or as a weapon
12
2.2
A small folding tool with a metal blade that fits into its handle and into a pocket
9
3.4
A small folding knife that you carry in your pocket
How Small
Surface Forms
Morphology
Etymology
The word penknife is simply the two words pen and knife. It was originally a small knife used to 'sharpen' quill pens, so the name tells its job and today it still means a small folding knife for little cutting tasks.