bowie knife

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Bowie knife^¹

/ˈbuːi naɪf/ literary, sometimes
/ˈboʊ.i naɪf/

Where it comes from

Named after American pioneer and soldier James Bowie (1796–1836) (/ˈbuːi/) who famously used such a knife as a weapon in a duel.

noun Bowie knives · bowie knife · bowie-knife

A large sheath knife, usually of clip point style and usually with large guards at the ricasso. To ensure good behavior, the slaveholder relies on the whip; […] to imbrute and destroy his manhood, he relies on the whip, the chain, the gag, the thumb-screw, the pillory, the bowie-knife, the pistol, and the blood-hound.
Similar: California toothpick, Missouri toothpick

bowie knife^²

noun bowie knives

alternative Alternative form of Bowie knife

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MLA

"bowie knife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/bowie%20knife. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026.

APA

bowie knife. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/bowie%20knife

Chicago

"bowie knife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/bowie%20knife.

BibTeX

@misc{bowie_knife_2026,
  title = {bowie knife},
  howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
  year = {2026},
  url = {https://micwyn.com/word/bowie%20knife},
  urldate = {2026-11-06}
}