Bowie knife en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
- /ˈbuːi naɪf/ (literary, sometimes)
- /ˈboʊ.i naɪf/ also widespread
Etymology
Named after American pioneer and soldier James Bowie (1796–1836) (/ˈbuːi/) who famously used such a knife as a weapon in a duel.
Meanings
-
A large sheath knife, usually of clip point style and usually with large guards at the ricasso.
To ensure good behavior, the slaveholder relies on the whip; […] to imbrute and destroy his manhood, he relies on the whip, the chain, the gag, the thumb-screw, the pillory, the bowie-knife, the pistol, and the blood-hound.
1855, Frederick Douglass, My Bondage and My Freedom. […], New York; Auburn, N.Y.: Miller, Orton & Mulligan […], →OCLC, part II (Life as a Freeman), page 430:
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bowie knives | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| bowie knife | alternative | lexicographic | |
| bowie-knife | alternative | lexicographic |