# penknife

> English word · Noun · frequency rank #92,991

## Definitions
1. A small pocketknife; (loosely) any pocketknife.
2. 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.
3. 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.

## Etymology
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.

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/penknife