Definitions
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
- n. A small knife with blades or a blade that can fold into the handle when not in use.
Century Dictionary and Cyclopedia
- n. A knife with one or more blades which fold into the handle, suitable for carrying in the pocket; loosely, a penknife.
Wiktionary
- n. A small knife whose blades or tools can fold in its handle, and thereby be safely stowed in one’s pocket.
GNU Webster's 1913
- n. A knife with one or more blades, which fold into the handle so as to admit of being carried in the pocket.
WordNet 3.0
- n. a knife with a blade that folds into the handle; suitable for carrying in the pocket
- n. a knife with a blade that folds into the handle; suitable for carrying in the pocket
Etymologies
- From pocket + knife. (Wiktionary)
Examples
“The second theme appears to be the apparent discovery by the aforementioned individuals that a pocketknife is actually a functional tool that can be handy for particular tasks.”
“As far as I can tell, a pocketknife is the kind of gift a cowboy gives to his lady.”
“His pocketknife was a serviceable one and he had plenty of physical strength.”
“I remember when a pocketknife was a wonderful treasure, and a pair of boots the height of all ambition.”
“Matthew Pucino could withstand the rigors of the Army - but he couldn't sneak a pocketknife past security at Walt Disney World.”
“A pocketknife for many people can serve as an entire toolbox, and the government really has no business taking that away from them, Pryor said.”
“You'll find out a range of suggested uses for a pocketknife.”
“If the male readers of Esquire require an official endorsement to carry a pocketknife, then by any definition that matters, they're weenies ...”
“After all, who requires instruction on the range of uses to which a pocketknife might be put?”
“So, I must ask myself is it a good thing that the folks at Esquire have realized that a pocketknife is indeed a useful tool and not a dangerous weapon.”
Lists
These user-created lists contain the word ‘pocketknife’.
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ktrey's wordlist
Words that I like.
Many may be lexicographically impotent due to a lack of citations and definition. Hopefully I'll be able to rectify this eventually.velleity, dispositive, bloviate, bibulous, fungible, concupiscence, avuncular, carnaptious, thrawn, hypocoristic, diegesis, lagniappe and 928 more...
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Just 'cause I like 'em, P
pellucid, pertain, pampas, prate, pinecone, philistine, pantocrator, papaverine, postmeridian, potlatch, pharology, pinniped and 622 more...
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my words
words that I especially like, for whatever reason
infiltrate, confuzzle, deoxyribonucleic ..., inarticulate, literate, loquacious, incinerate, campfire, asanine, lunacy, inferior, qwerty and 67 more...
Tweets
Looking for tweets for pocketknife.
ruzuzu "A knife with one or more blades, which fold into the handle so as to admit of being carried in the pocket."
--GNU Webster's 1913 May 1, 2012