noun
penknife
noun
1
A small folding knife that fits easily in a pocket.
"He whittled the stick down with his penknife while waiting for the bus."
How to Use Penknife
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishA small pocket knife, historically used for trimming quill pens.
Common pairings
a small penknife
whittle with a penknife
Word Forms
penknifed past tense, penknives plural, penknifes singular
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He whittled the stick down with his _____ while waiting for the bus.
Etymology
From pen + knife — originally a small knife used to sharpen (cut a "nib" into) quill pens.