penknife

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   a small folding pocketknife

   He used a penknife to cut the string around the parcel.

2. 2
   noun

   historically, a small knife used to trim a quill or reed into a writing nib

   The clerk sharpened his quill with a penknife before signing the ledger.

From Middle English penne knyfe, literally pen + knife. It was originally named for trimming quills or reeds into writing nibs and sometimes scraping ink from parchment. As metal nibs replaced quills, the name broadened to mean a small folding pocketknife.

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