n.; pl. Knives [ OE. knif, AS. cnīf; akin to D. knijf, Icel. knīfr, Sw. knif, Dan. kniv. ] 1. An instrument consisting of a thin blade, usually of steel and having a sharp edge for cutting, fastened to a handle, but of many different forms and names for different uses; as, table knife, drawing knife, putty knife, pallet knife, pocketknife, penknife, chopping knife, etc.. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. A sword or dagger. [ 1913 Webster ]

The coward conquest of a wretch's knife. Shak. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knife grass (Bot.) a tropical American sedge (Scleria latifolia), having leaves with a very sharp and hard edge, like a knife. --
War to the knife, mortal combat; a conflict carried to the last extremity. [ 1913 Webster ]

v. t. [ imp. & p. p. Knifed p. pr. & vb. n. Knifing ] 1. (Hort.) To prune with the knife. [ 1913 Webster ]

2. To cut or stab with a knife. [ Low ] [ 1913 Webster ]

3. Fig.: To stab in the back; to try to defeat by underhand means, esp. in politics; to vote or work secretly against (a candidate of one's own party). [ Slang, U. S. ] [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]

n. A board on which knives are cleaned or polished. [ 1913 Webster ]

n. (Mech.) A piece of steel sharpened to an acute edge or angle, and resting on a smooth surface, serving as the axis of motion of a pendulum, scale beam, or other piece required to oscillate with the least possible friction. [ 1913 Webster ]

Knife-edge file. See Illust. of File. [ 1913 Webster ]

. (Elec.) A switch consisting of one or more knifelike pieces hinged at one end and making contact near the other with flat gripping springs. [ Webster 1913 Suppl. ]