knife-edge en · NOUN
Pronunciation
- (Southern-England) audio
Meanings
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A small piece of metal, usually steel, sharpened to an acute edge or angle, and resting on a smooth surface, serving as the fulcrum of a pendulum, scalebeam, or other piece required to oscillate with minimal friction.
Again, as the pendulum was provided with sharp knife-edges on opposite sides near its upper end, shaped like a V, on which it swung, the greater the weight of the pendulum the more wear there would be on these knife-edges.
1894 February 14, James Howard Gore, “The Shape of the Earth from a Pendulum”, in Popular Science Monthly, volume 44:
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(figuratively) A precarious balance that could be upset by a very small force in either direction.
[…]meanwhile, Biloxi and Vincennes are both in the process of going down and being abandoned, whilst Miami is right on the knife-edge of being recoverable, with three destroyers clustering around offering pumping and additional damage-control crews to try and keep the light cruiser afloat.
2021 May 5, Drachinifel, 43:40 from the start, in Battle of Samar - What if TF34 was there?, archived from the original on 19 Aug 2022:The game was on a knife-edge.
Polling stations have opened in a knife-edge election in Finland, with polls suggesting the three leading parties are running neck-and-neck and prime minister Sanna Marin may face an uphill battle to stay in power.
2023 April 2, Jon Henley, “Finland begins voting in knife-edge election”, in The Guardian, →ISSN:Boris Johnson's future on a knife edge after No 10 party apology [title]
2022 January 12, “Boris Johnson's future on a knife edge after No 10 party apology”, in The Guardian:
- Used other than figuratively or idiomatically: the edge of a knife.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| knife edge | alternative | lexicographic | |
| knife's-edge | alternative | lexicographic | |
| knife-edges | Number=Plur | lexicographic | |
| knife's edge | alternative | lexicographic |
Deriveds
knife-edge file · knife-edge effect
Translations (9)
tr bıçak sırtı (a precarious balance) · pl ostrze noża (a precarious balance) · fr fil du rasoir (a precarious balance) · ru ле́звие ножа́ (a precarious balance) · it filo del rasoio (a precarious balance) · de Messers Schneide (a precarious balance) · alt бычактыҥ мизи (a precarious balance) · fi veitsenterä (a precarious balance) · it sul filo del rasoio (a precarious balance)