Skip to main content
pruning knife

pruning knife

4.7
A small tool with a curved blade for cutting and trimming plants
  • noun
  • /ˈpruːnɪŋ naɪf/
translation icon : cuchillo de poda
  • A pruning knife is essential for any gardener.

Examples

  • The gardener sharpened his pruning knife before working on the rose bushes.

  • She used a pruning knife to trim the rose bushes.

  • A small pruning knife fits easily in a pocket for quick access during gardening.

  • She carefully used a pruning knife to remove dead branches from the fruit trees.

  • She carefully used her pruning knife to trim the overgrown rose bushes in her garden.

  • After a long day of gardening, he put away his pruning knife and admired the neatly shaped plants.

  • To maintain the health of the fruit trees, it is essential to have a sharp pruning knife for effective cutting.

Synonyms

gardening knife
vspruning knife
3.4

A small sharp tool gardeners use to cut plants and roots

is a curved or hooked blade tool used for precise plant trimming

How Long

pruner
1 4.2
pruning knife
4.7

Surface Forms

pruning knife singular

Morphology

prune + knife

The meaning 'a knife used for pruning' is directly derivable from combining 'prune' (to trim plants) with 'knife' (a cutting tool): the modifier specifies the knife's purpose. This transparent, compositional pattern (modifier + noun indicating function) is common cross-linguistically and should be clear to a B1 learner who knows both constituents.

Etymology

Pruning knife comes from the simple image of a gardener using a small, curved knife to cut away dead twigs and shape a plant. So the name tells you it is a tool used 'to prune', to cut or trim plants.