penknife

pen·knife

P p

Transcription

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- UK Pronunciation
- UK IPA
- [pen-nahyf]
- /ˈpɛnˌnaɪf/
- /ˈpen.naɪf/

- US Pronunciation
- US IPA
- [pen-nahyf]
- /ˈpɛnˌnaɪf/

Definitions of penknife word

noun plural penknife a small pocketknife, formerly one used for making and sharpening quill pens. 1
noun penknife small pocket knife 1
countable noun penknife A penknife is a small knife with a blade that folds back into the handle. 0
noun penknife a small knife with one or more blades that fold into the handle; pocketknife 0
noun penknife a small pocketknife; originally, one used in making quill pens 0

See all 5 definitions of penknife

Information block about the term

Origin of penknife

First appearance:

before 1400

One of the 24% oldest English words

late Middle English word dating back to 1400-50; See origin at pen1, knife

Historical Comparancy

Parts of speech for Penknife

noun

adjective

verb

adverb

pronoun

preposition

conjunction

determiner

exclamation

Full grammatical hierarchy of Penknife

penknife popularity

A common word. It’s meaning is known to most children of preschool age. About 71% of English native speakers know the meaning and use the word.

According to our data about 52% of words is more used. This is a rare but used term. It occurs in the pages of specialized literature and in the speech of educated people.

penknife usage trend in Literature

This diagram is provided by Google Ngram Viewer

Synonyms for penknife

noun penknife

flick knife — switchblade.

Just one Synonym for penknife