kniving
English
Etymology 1
Inflected form of knive.
Pronunciation
Verb
kniving
References
- ^ Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary (has the lemma knive)
Etymology 2
Possibly from misunderstanding of the spoken word /k(ə)naɪvɪŋ/ as kniving with a pronounced k, perhaps influenced by its semantic associations with backstabbing and knives.
Adjective
kniving (not comparable)
- Misconstruction of conniving
- 2003, Carlton D. Bembry, If I Were a Card: The Things I Would Say, →ISBN, page 13:
- When your so-called friends try to smear your name with their backstabbing and kniving games, look them straight in their eyes and say, I know who I am.
- 2011, Tommy Anthony, Somewhere Along the Line, →ISBN:
- It was enough that Frederich was a kniving back-stabber who was always working with ...
- 2011, Juan Crazy, Succubus: Book 1 - Seven Hells, →ISBN, page 361:
- He did not share his Duke's kniving mind, nor lack of morals and he had a good friend aboard one of those boats back across the turbulent sea.
Noun
kniving (uncountable)
- Misconstruction of conniving
- 2012, Ian Archer & Trevor Royle, We'll Support You Evermore, →ISBN:
- What lad seeks to be a cunning politician or avaricious businessman who reaches the peak by stealth and kniving?
- 2006, Henry Pennier, Keith Thor Carlson, & Kristina Rose Fagan, Call Me Hank, →ISBN, page 87:
- If I had a[sic] Indian in the car and also a sealed bottle of whiskey or a sealed case of beer and a cop stops me on a routine check I would be charged with kniving which has several meanings like the intention of giving him a drink sooner or later.