kniving

English

Etymology 1

Inflected form of knive.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /naɪvɪŋ/
• Rhymes: -aɪvɪŋ

Verb

kniving

1. present participle and gerund of 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)

1. 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)

1. Misconstruction of conniving
   • 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.