penknife
English
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penknife
Where it comes from
From Middle English penne knyfe; equivalent to pen + knife. In the original sense, named for its purpose: aiding the use of a (traditional) ink pen through the following tasks: trimming the tip of a quill pen, trimming a reed for a nib, and (in some cases) allowing erasure by scraping away some ink.
noun penknives
- A small pocketknife; (loosely) any pocketknife. Limpet's penknife was on the table, and he snatched that up and commenced stabbing it into the cork, whether as a means of getting it out, or merely as a relief to his passion, it is difficult to say.
- A small knife designed for safe and convenient storage, typically in the form of a miniature clasp-knife, or with blade retractable into the handle. Presently the man took a reed pen from his satchel, and trimmed it with a little ivory knife, carved in the semblance of a fish. "Oh, what a beauty!" cried Dan. "'Ware fingers! That blade is perilous sharp. I made it myself of the best Low Country crossbow steel. And so, too, this fish. When his bac
- A small knife for cutting the points of quill feathers or reeds into nibs to provide or repair writing implements, early versions were commonly small sheath knives. If a ſarcell, or other feathers be broken aboue the quyll, towards the poynt of yͤ fethers twoo or three fingers bredth, you muſt cut it off with a ſharpe penknife, aſlope, and (as they ſay) a ſwaſhe, ⁊ then take another feather to the ſame, cutting it in like manner, as you did the other, ſo as it
verb penknifes · penknifing · penknifed
- To cut or carve with a penknife.
Translations
Every language
noun small pocketknife
| Español | navaja, cortaplumas |
|---|---|
| 日本語 | ポケットナイフ pokettonaifu |
| 中文 | 小刀 xiǎodāo |
| Português | canivete suíço, canivete |
| Français | canif |
| Deutsch | Taschenmesser |
| Ελληνικά | σουγιαδάκι sougiadáki |
| Русский | перочи́нный нож peročínnyj nož |
| العربية | مِطْواة miṭwāh |
noun knife for cutting the points of quill feathers or reeds
| हिन्दी | क़लमतराश qalmatrāś |
|---|
Talk about this word "penknife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn, micwyn.com/word/penknife. Accessed 6 Nov. 2026. penknife. (n.d.). In Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Retrieved November 6, 2026, from https://micwyn.com/word/penknife "penknife." Wiktionary, via Micwyn. Accessed November 6, 2026. https://micwyn.com/word/penknife.Cite this
@misc{penknife_2026,
title = {penknife},
howpublished = {Wiktionary, via Micwyn},
year = {2026},
url = {https://micwyn.com/word/penknife},
urldate = {2026-11-06}
}
