shiv
A knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something not normally used as a weaponA knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something not normally used as a weapon (like a plastic spoon or a toothbrush).
Recorded UK: Speaker: Vealhurl Recorder: Vealhurl, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons · Recorded: Commander Keane, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons
» When I say shiv, I mean this.
jan_OkulaJu · Tatoeba · CC BY 2.0 FRMeaning
2 senses(countable, slang)A knife, especially a makeshift one fashioned from something not normally used as a weapon (like a plastic spoon or a toothbrush).
зато́чкаzatóčka
a knife used as a weapon
(uncountable)A particular woody by-product of processing flax or hemp.
Examples
6 sentencesWhen I say shiv, I mean this.
He pulled a shiv on the guard.
The media stuck a shiv into his reputation.
Tom made a shiv out of the handle of a toothbrush.
ruТом сделал заточку из ручки зубной щётки. — Wezel · CC BY 2.0 FR
Mess with them, and they won't just pull shivs on you; they're probably packing heat.
Translations
4 languagesBy meaning 1
Origin
First attested 1915. From chive, chieve, chife, chiv (“knife”), from Romani chive, chiv, cFirst attested 1915. From chive, chieve, chife, chiv (“knife”), from Romani chive, chiv, chivvomengro (“knife, dagger, blade”).
Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0 · source
Forms
plural: shivsSynonyms
1 synonymsWord family
1 related wordsLessons for this word
1 lessons- A1Countable and uncountable nouns — Because it can be uncountable
See also
neighbours in the dictionaryDictionary text adapted from Wiktionary (Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0) and Open English WordNet / Princeton WordNet (CC BY 4.0, WordNet License); shared under CC BY-SA 4.0. Example sentences and recordings are credited where they appear.